Discover the career path of MrBeast, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
James Stephen "Jimmy" Donaldson, known as MrBeast, is a prominent American YouTuber, media personality, and businessman recognized for his engaging YouTube videos featuring elaborate challenges and substantial charitable donations. He holds the record for the most subscribers on YouTube, boasting over 360 million, and a significant presence on TikTok, Instagram and X.
February 2012: First YouTube Upload
In February 2012, Donaldson uploaded his first YouTube video under the channel name "MrBeast6000".
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2012: Started Posting on YouTube
In 2012, Donaldson began posting videos on YouTube under the name MrBeast6000, with content ranging from Let's Plays to estimating the wealth of other YouTubers.
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2015: Gained Popularity with 'Worst Intros on YouTube'
In 2015, Donaldson gained popularity with his "Worst Intros on YouTube" series.
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2016: Dropped out of College
In late 2016, Donaldson dropped out of college to pursue a full-time career as a YouTuber.
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January 2017: Publishes Counting to 100,000 Video
In January 2017, Donaldson published a video of himself counting to 100,000, which became his breakthrough viral video.
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2017: Counting to 100,000 Video Goes Viral
In 2017, Donaldson went viral after his "counting to 100,000" video gained tens of thousands of views in a few days, marking a turning point in his YouTube career.
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2018: YouTube's Biggest Philanthropist
By 2018, Donaldson had given away $1 million through his stunts, earning him the title "YouTube's biggest philanthropist".
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2018: PewDiePie Rewind Inspiration
In 2018, Donaldson stated that PewDiePie's Rewind was the inspiration for Donaldson's Rewind.
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March 2019: Organized Real-Life Battle Royale
In March 2019, Donaldson organized and filmed a real-life battle royale competition in Los Angeles with prizes totaling $200,000 in collaboration with Apex Legends.
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October 2019: Planting trees for #TeamTrees campaign.
In October 2019, The Arbor Day Foundation began planting trees in the U.S. national parks.
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October 25, 2019: #TeamTrees Fundraising Challenge Announced
On October 25, 2019, Donaldson and Mark Rober announced #TeamTrees, a fundraising challenge to raise $20 million for the Arbor Day Foundation by January 1, 2020.
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January 1, 2020: #TeamTrees Goal Deadline
The original deadline for the #TeamTrees campaign to raise $20 million was January 1, 2020.
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April 2020: Created Rock, Paper, Scissors Competition
In April 2020, Donaldson created a rock, paper, scissors competition stream with a grand prize of $250,000, becoming YouTube's most-watched live Original event at the time.
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June 2020: Released Finger on the App
In June 2020, Donaldson, in collaboration with MSCHF, released a one-time multiplayer mobile game titled Finger on the App where the last person to remove their finger from the screen wins $25,000.
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September 17, 2020: Beast Philanthropy YouTube Channel Created
On September 17, 2020, Donaldson created the Beast Philanthropy YouTube channel, donating all revenue to charity.
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October 2020: Hosted Influencer Trivia Tournament
In October 2020, Donaldson hosted another influencer tournament, a trivia competition with a grand prize of $300,000, which led to controversy due to cheating claims.
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November 2020: MrBeast Burger Announcement
In November 2020, it was announced that Donaldson would launch a virtual restaurant called MrBeast Burger in December 2020.
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December 2020: Finger on the App 2 Planned Launch
Finger on the App 2 was planned to initially launch in December 2020 but was postponed.
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December 2020: Launch of MrBeast Burger
In December 2020, Donaldson launched MrBeast Burger, a virtual restaurant concept, in collaboration with Virtual Dining Concepts.
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2020: YouTube Rewind 2020 Inspiration
In 2020, Donaldson stated that he had always believed that YouTubers should get more say in Rewind.
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January 1, 2021: YouTube Rewind 2020 Release
On January 1, 2021, Donaldson released his "Youtube Rewind 2020, Thank God It's Over" video, calling on hundreds of other YouTubers to participate.
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February 2021: Favorable Viewership Poll
In February 2021, a poll from Insider revealed that 70% of respondents held a favorable view of MrBeast, while only 12% expressed an unfavorable view, indicating a strong positive perception among viewers.
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March 2021: Juice Funds Introduction
In March 2021, Donaldson partnered with Creative Juice to introduce Juice Funds, a $2 million investment fund for content creators.
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March 2021: Finger on the App 2 Delayed
The planned release of Finger on the App 2 was further delayed to March 2021 due to server crashes caused by a flood of downloads.
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April 2021: Investment and Backlash
In April 2021, Donaldson became an investor in Current and faced backlash after fans lost money in a cryptocurrency scheme he promoted.
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October 29, 2021: #TeamSeas Fundraising Challenge Announced
On October 29, 2021, Donaldson and Rober organized #TeamSeas, a fundraising challenge to raise $30 million for ocean cleanup by January 1, 2022.
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November 2021: "$456,000 Squid Game in Real Life!" Uploaded
In November 2021, Donaldson uploaded "$456,000 Squid Game in Real Life!", which became one of the most-watched YouTube videos of the year, sparking both praise and criticism.
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December 2021: Hosted Influencer Tournament
In December 2021, Donaldson created a third influencer tournament featuring 15 competitors with a grand prize of $1 million.
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January 1, 2022: #TeamSeas Goal Deadline
The original deadline for the #TeamSeas campaign to raise $30 million was January 1, 2022.
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January 2022: Feastables Launch
In January 2022, Donaldson announced the creation of Feastables, a new food company, and launched its brand of chocolate bars. The launch included a sweepstakes with over $1 million in prizes.
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June 2022: Feastables Chocolate Factory Video Release
In June 2022, a video was released showing elimination challenges where the winner won the choice of a chocolate factory or a $500,000 cash prize. Michelin Star chef Gordon Ramsay was featured as a judge.
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July 28, 2022: Surpassed 100 Million Subscribers
On July 28, 2022, Donaldson surpassed 100 million subscribers on his main YouTube channel.
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September 4, 2022: First Physical MrBeast Burger Restaurant
On September 4, 2022, the first physical MrBeast Burger restaurant opened in the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
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November 2022: One Billion Video Views in 30 Days
In November 2022, Donaldson achieved one billion video views over 30 days on his main YouTube channel.
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November 2022: East Carolina University Partnership
In November 2022, Donaldson partnered with East Carolina University to create a YouTube content creation course.
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December 2022: #TeamTrees Tree Planting Deadline
The original deadline for the Arbor Day Foundation to plant all the trees funded by the #TeamTrees campaign was December 2022.
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2022: Video Production Costs
In 2022, Donaldson reported spending about $1 million on each video, primarily funded by sponsorships.
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May 2023: Guest Judge on Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars
In May 2023, Donaldson was featured as a guest judge on Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars show.
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October 2, 2023: Feastables Partners with Charlotte Hornets
On October 2, 2023, Feastables partnered with the Charlotte Hornets to feature the MrBeast logo on their jerseys for the 2023-24 NBA season.
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October 15, 2023: Surpassed 200 Million Subscribers
On October 15, 2023, Donaldson surpassed 200 million subscribers on his YouTube channel.
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2023: Employs Over 250 People
As of 2023, Donaldson employs over 250 people, including writers, editors, and producers, many of whom are friends and family members.
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2023: MrBeast Streaming Channel Launch
In 2023, a free ad-supported streaming television channel named Mr. Beast began airing on the Roku Channel service, featuring previously released MrBeast YouTube videos.
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January 11, 2024: Feastables Bar Changes Announced
On January 11, 2024, Donaldson announced changes to the original Feastables bar, including a new shape and formula.
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January 2024: "Would You Fly to Paris for a Baguette?" Most-Watched Video
As of January 2024, Donaldson's YouTube Shorts video "Would You Fly to Paris for a Baguette?" became the most-watched video on his main YouTube channel.
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March 2024: Beast Games Announced
In March 2024, Donaldson and Amazon MGM Studios announced Beast Games, a reality competition series on Prime Video with 1,000 contestants competing for a $5 million prize.
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June 2, 2024: Most Subscribed Channel on YouTube
On June 2, 2024, Donaldson surpassed T-Series to become the most subscribed channel on YouTube, with 267 million subscribers.
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July 10, 2024: First YouTuber to Surpass 300 Million Subscribers
On July 10, 2024, Donaldson became the first YouTuber to surpass 300 million subscribers.
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July 13, 2024: Uploaded 300 Million Subscriber Special
On July 13, 2024, Donaldson uploaded his 300 million subscribers special, "50 YouTubers Fight for $1,000,000", featuring guest appearances from Howie Mandel, Miranda Cosgrove, and Joey Chestnut.
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September 2024: Lunchly Brand Announced
In September 2024, Donaldson announced the Lunchly brand of snack kits in a joint venture with YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul.
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February 1, 2025: #TeamTrees Surpasses Original Goal
As of February 1, 2025, the #TeamTrees project has planted over 24.8 million trees, surpassing the original goal of 20 million.
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