History of MrBeast in Timeline
James Stephen "Jimmy" Donaldson, known as MrBeast, is a prominent American YouTuber, media figure, and entrepreneur. He's renowned for his high-production-value YouTube videos featuring extravagant challenges and acts of philanthropy. Holding the title of the most-subscribed individual on YouTube, boasting over 404 million subscribers, he has a significant presence on other social media platforms, and is also a leading creator on TikTok, where he has over 115 million followers.
May 7, 1998: James Donaldson Born
On May 7, 1998, James Stephen Donaldson, known as MrBeast, was born. He is an American YouTuber, media personality, and businessman.
February 2012: First YouTube Video
In February 2012, James Donaldson uploaded his first YouTube video under the channel name "MrBeast6000".
2012: Started YouTube Channel
In 2012, Donaldson started posting videos to YouTube under the handle MrBeast6000. His content included Let's Plays and videos estimating the wealth of other YouTubers.
2015: "Worst Intros on YouTube" Series
In 2015, Donaldson gained popularity with his "Worst Intros on YouTube" series poking fun at YouTube video introductions.
2016: Graduated High School
In 2016, Donaldson graduated from Greenville Christian Academy.
2016: Dropped Out of College
In late 2016, Donaldson dropped out of college to pursue a full-time career as a YouTuber, leading his mother to disapprove and ask him to leave home.
January 2017: Counting to 100,000 Video
In January 2017, Donaldson published his viral video of himself counting to 100,000.
2017: Went Viral
In 2017, Donaldson went viral after his "counting to 100,000" video earned tens of thousands of views in just a few days.
February 2018: Matt Turner Begins Working for Donaldson
In February 2018, Matt Turner began working as an editor for Donaldson.
May 2018: Article published on Donaldson's use of homophobic slurs
In May 2018, The Atlantic published an article detailing Donaldson's history of using homophobic slurs on Twitter as a teenager, where he referred to people as "fags" and used "gay" as an insult.
2018: "YouTube's Biggest Philanthropist"
By 2018, Donaldson had given out $1 million through his stunts, earning him the title "YouTube's biggest philanthropist".
2018: PewDiePie vs. T-Series Rivalry Support
In 2018, during the PewDiePie vs. T-Series rivalry, Donaldson bought billboards and advertisements to help PewDiePie gain subscribers.
March 2019: Battle Royale Competition
In March 2019, Donaldson organized a real-life battle royale competition with prizes totaling $200,000 in collaboration with Apex Legends and Electronic Arts.
September 2019: Matt Turner Stops Working for Donaldson
In September 2019, Matt Turner stopped working as an editor for Donaldson.
October 2019: Matt Turner Releases Deleted Twitter Thread
In October 2019, Matt Turner released a deleted Twitter thread where he stated he was "yelled at, bullied, called mentally retarded and replaceable by Donaldson every single day".
October 2019: Planting Trees in U.S. National Parks Begins
In October 2019, the Arbor Day Foundation began planting trees in U.S. national parks as part of the #TeamTrees initiative.
October 25, 2019: Announcement of #TeamTrees Fundraising Challenge
On October 25, 2019, Donaldson and Mark Rober announced #TeamTrees, a YouTube fundraising challenge aiming to raise $20 million for the Arbor Day Foundation by January 1, 2020, to plant trees.
November 23, 2019: Counterfeit Money Accusation
On November 23, 2019, Donaldson was accused of using counterfeit money in his "I Opened A FREE BANK" video, which he later clarified was for safety concerns and participants received real checks afterward.
January 1, 2020: #TeamTrees Goal
The #TeamTrees project aimed to raise $20 million for the Arbor Day Foundation by January 1, 2020.
April 2020: Rock, Paper, Scissors Competition Stream
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.
June 2020: Finger on the App Mobile Game Release
In June 2020, Donaldson, in collaboration with MSCHF, released the one-time multiplayer mobile game titled Finger on the App, where players competed to win $25,000.
September 17, 2020: Creation of Beast Philanthropy YouTube Channel
On September 17, 2020, Donaldson created the Beast Philanthropy YouTube channel to donate 100% of its revenue to charity, with Darren Margolias as executive director.
October 2020: Influencer Trivia Tournament Controversy
In October 2020, Donaldson hosted an influencer trivia tournament with a grand prize of $300,000, which was won by Charli and Dixie D'Amelio, causing controversy due to cheating claims.
December 2020: Finger on the App 2 Postponement
In December 2020, Finger on the App 2 was planned, but postponed to February 2021.
2020: Streamy Award
In 2020, Donaldson won the Creator of the Year award at the Streamy Awards.
January 1, 2021: YouTube Rewind 2020
On January 1, 2021, Donaldson released the "Youtube Rewind 2020, Thank God It's Over" video, citing PewDiePie's 2018 Rewind as inspiration.
February 2021: Clubhouse Controversy
In February 2021, Donaldson removed entrepreneur Farokh Sarmad from a Clubhouse room, leading to accusations of racism that were disputed by other users.
February 2021: Insider poll shows favorable view of MrBeast
In February 2021, an Insider poll revealed that 70% of respondents had a favorable view of MrBeast, while 12% had an unfavorable view.
March 2021: Finger on the App 2 Release
Finger on the App 2 was released in March 2021, featuring a grand prize of $100,000.
March 2021: Partnership with Creative Juice to Introduce Juice Funds
In March 2021, Donaldson partnered with the Creative Juice financial network to introduce Juice Funds, which is a $2 million investment fund for content creators.
April 2021: Investment in Current and Cryptocurrency Backlash
In April 2021, Donaldson became a long-term investor and partner of financial technology company Current. That same month, Donaldson faced backlash after fans lost significant amounts of money in a cryptocurrency scheme he invested in and promoted.
May 2021: Allegations of a Difficult Work Environment
In a May 2021 New York Times article, former employees alleged that Donaldson created a difficult work environment. Matt Turner claimed Donaldson berated him almost daily.
October 29, 2021: Announcement of #TeamSeas Fundraising Challenge
On October 29, 2021, Donaldson and Rober organized #TeamSeas, a YouTube challenge aiming to raise $30 million for ocean cleanup by January 1, 2022.
November 2021: "$456,000 Squid Game in Real Life!" Video
In November 2021, Donaldson uploaded "$456,000 Squid Game in Real Life!", a recreation of the Squid Game series, becoming one of the most-watched YouTube videos of the year.
December 2021: Influencer Tournament
In December 2021, Donaldson created a third influencer tournament featuring 15 competitors with a grand prize of $1 million.
2021: Streamy Award
In 2021, Donaldson won the Creator of the Year award at the Streamy Awards.
2021: Donaldson's spokesperson addresses past homophobic slurs
In 2021, a spokesperson for Donaldson stated that he had "grown up and matured into someone that doesn't speak like that", referring to his past use of homophobic slurs.
January 1, 2022: #TeamSeas Goal
The #TeamSeas project aimed to raise $30 million for the Ocean Conservancy and The Ocean Cleanup by January 1, 2022.
January 2022: Launch of Feastables and MrBeast Bar
In January 2022, Donaldson announced the creation of Feastables, a snack company, launching with the MrBeast Bar chocolate bars in original, almond, and quinoa crunch flavors, accompanied by a sweepstakes with over $1 million in prizes.
January 2022: Highest-Earning YouTuber
In January 2022, Forbes ranked Donaldson as YouTube's highest-earning creator, earning an estimated $54 million in 2021.
April 2022: Donaldson identifies as an agnostic theist
In April 2022, Donaldson revealed in an interview with Rolling Stone that he had left evangelical Christianity and now identifies as an agnostic theist. He also disavowed anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, which he previously held due to his upbringing.
June 2022: Feastables Chocolate Factory Video Release
In June 2022, a video was released featuring elimination challenges for a chocolate factory or $500,000 cash prize. Gordon Ramsay judged the final challenge. Feastables reportedly made $10 million in its first few months.
July 28, 2022: 100 Million Subscribers
On July 28, 2022, Donaldson surpassed 100 million subscribers on his main channel.
September 4, 2022: MrBeast Burger Opens First Physical Restaurant
On September 4, 2022, MrBeast Burger, a virtual restaurant chain, opened its first physical location in the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
September 2022: Donaldson Comments on Running for President
On a podcast in September 2022, Donaldson commented that he would consider running for president of the United States "in like 20 years", adding that the U.S. is "due for younger presidents".
November 2022: One Billion Video Views
In November 2022, Donaldson achieved one billion video views over 30 days on his main YouTube channel.
November 2022: Partnership with East Carolina University
In November 2022, Donaldson partnered with East Carolina University to create a course centered around YouTube content creation.
November 17, 2022: Guinness World Record
On November 17, 2022, Donaldson achieved the Guinness World Record of "Most Subscribers for an Individual Male on YouTube".
December 2022: #TeamTrees deadline for planting trees
December 2022 was the deadline for planting trees through the #TeamTrees initiative.
2022: Streamy and Kids' Choice Awards
In 2022, Donaldson won the Creator of the Year award at the Streamy Awards and the Favorite Male Creator award at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.
2022: $1 Million per Video
In 2022, it was reported that Donaldson spends about $1 million on each video, funded by sponsorships and Google's AdSense program.
March 3, 2023: Feastables Asks Fans To Clean Up Displays
On March 3, 2023, Donaldson asked fans on Twitter to improve Feastables displays, suggesting they obscure competing products, and offered raffle entry for proof of assistance, drawing criticism for allegedly exploiting fans for unpaid labor.
April 2023: Donaldson defends Chris Tyson against backlash
In April 2023, after Chris Tyson acknowledged receiving feminizing hormone replacement therapy, Donaldson defended her against the backlash she received, expressing his anger at the transphobia.
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.
June 2023: Donaldson Declined Invitation to OceanGate Expedition
In June 2023, following the OceanGate submersible Titan implosion, Donaldson stated he had declined an invitation to the expedition.
June 17, 2023: Donaldson Expresses Wishes to Shut Down MrBeast Burger
On June 17, 2023, Donaldson expressed his desire to shut down MrBeast Burger due to quality issues, citing a "bad deal" with Virtual Dining Concepts, LLC.
July 31, 2023: Donaldson Sues Virtual Dining Concepts
On July 31, 2023, Donaldson sued Virtual Dining Concepts in federal court to end their partnership, alleging damage to his reputation due to prioritizing expansion over food quality for MrBeast Burger.
October 2, 2023: Feastables Partners with Charlotte Hornets
On October 2, 2023, Feastables partnered with the Charlotte Hornets, featuring MrBeast's insignia on their jerseys for the 2023-24 NBA season, though the partnership later ended.
October 15, 2023: 200 Million Subscribers
On October 15, 2023, Donaldson surpassed 200 million subscribers.
2023: Over 250 Employees
As of 2023, Donaldson employs over 250 people, including writers, editors, and producers.
2023: Time's 100 Most Influential and Streamy Award
In 2023, Donaldson was named one of Time's 100 most influential people and won the Creator of the Year award at the Streamy Awards.
2023: Mr. Beast Channel Airs on Roku Channel
In 2023, a free ad-supported streaming television channel named Mr. Beast that shows only previously released MrBeast YouTube videos began airing on the Roku Channel service.
February 2024: Feastables Rebrands Chocolates
In February 2024, Feastables rebranded their chocolates, which included a new shape and formula.
March 2024: Announcement of Beast Games Reality Competition Series
In March 2024, Donaldson and Amazon MGM Studios announced plans for Beast Games, a reality competition series on Prime Video, featuring 1,000 contestants competing for a $5 million prize.
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.
July 6, 2024: Donaldson Tweets About Running for President
On July 6, 2024, during the 2024 presidential election, Donaldson wrote on Twitter, "If we lower the age to run for president I'll jump in the race," clarifying he was reiterating his apolitical stance.
July 10, 2024: 300 Million Subscribers
On July 10, 2024, Donaldson became the first YouTuber to surpass 300 million subscribers.
July 13, 2024: "50 YouTubers Fight for $1,000,000" Upload
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. The video reached 71 million views in the first 24 hours.
July 24, 2024: Ava Kris Tyson Removed from MrBeast Brand
On July 24, 2024, Donaldson removed Ava Kris Tyson from the MrBeast brand following allegations of sexual misconduct with minors. Tyson stated she willingly stepped away.
September 2024: Announcement of Lunchly Snack Kits
In September 2024, Donaldson announced the Lunchly brand of snack kits, marketed as a healthier alternative to Lunchables, as a joint venture with YouTubers Olajide "KSI" Olatunji and Logan Paul.
September 2024: Class Action Lawsuit
In September 2024, Donaldson was named in a class action lawsuit alleging mistreatment, sexual harassment, and unpaid wages on his reality television series.
September 2024: Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Donaldson and Amazon
In September 2024, a class action lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of former Beast Games contestants against Donaldson, Amazon, and associated production companies, alleging mistreatment, sexual harassment, and unpaid expenses.
November 1, 2024: Law Firm Concludes Allegations Against Tyson Were Baseless
On November 1, 2024, the law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan concluded the allegations against Ava Kris Tyson were baseless after conducting "39 interviews of current and former employees" and reviewing "over 4.5 million documents from mobile phones, emails, Telegrams, Discords, WhatsApps and Slack".
December 19, 2024: Release of Beast Games on Amazon Prime Video
On December 19, 2024, Donaldson released Beast Games on Amazon Prime Video. The television show broke numerous Guinness World Records.
December 25, 2024: Engagement to Thea Booysen
On December 25, 2024, Donaldson became engaged to gaming streamer Thea Booysen.
2024: Forbes List and Kids' Choice Award
In 2024, Donaldson ranked first on the Forbes list for the highest-paid YouTube creator and won the Favorite Male Creator award at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.
January 1, 2025: Announcement of Engagement to Thea Booysen
On January 1, 2025, Donaldson announced his engagement to Thea Booysen, which began on December 25, 2024.
May 2025: Most-Watched Video
As of May 2025, Donaldson's YouTube Shorts video "Would You Fly to Paris for a Baguette?" is the most-watched video on his main YouTube channel.
May 2025: Threat of Legal Action by Mexican Authorities
In May 2025, Mexican authorities threatened legal action over a video featuring MrBeast at a Mayan temple.
June 1, 2025: 400 Million Subscribers
On June 1, 2025, Donaldson became the first YouTuber to surpass 400 million subscribers.
June 2025: #TeamSeas Goal Surpassed
As of June 2025, the #TeamSeas project had surpassed its $30 million goal, raising over $34 million.
2026: Collaboration with James Patterson on a Thriller Novel
In 2026, Donaldson is set to collaborate with James Patterson on a thriller novel, which will be published by HarperCollins.
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