MrBeast's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of MrBeast.

James Stephen "Jimmy" Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, is a prominent American YouTuber, media personality, and businessman recognized for his engaging and high-production-value content. He is famous for hosting elaborate challenges, often incorporating philanthropic endeavors. MrBeast holds the distinction of having the most subscribed channel on YouTube, boasting over 419 million subscribers. Furthermore, as of August 2, 2025, he was the third-most-followed creator on TikTok, with a substantial following of over 119 million.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

January 2017: Viral "Counting to 100,000" Video

In January 2017, Donaldson's "counting to 100,000" video went viral, marking his breakthrough. The ordeal took him 40 hours.

2018: "YouTube's Biggest Philanthropist"

By 2018, Donaldson had given out $1 million through his stunts, earning him the title "YouTube's biggest philanthropist".

2020: Streamy Award for Creator of the Year

In 2020, Donaldson won the Creator of the Year award at the Streamy Awards.

February 2021: Insider Poll Shows Favorable View of MrBeast

A February 2021 poll from Insider showed that 70% of respondents had a favorable view of MrBeast, compared to 12% who had an unfavorable view. His channel appeals strongly to younger viewers.

2021: Streamy Award for Creator of the Year

In 2021, Donaldson won the Creator of the Year award at the Streamy Awards.

January 2022: YouTube's Highest-Earning Creator

In January 2022, Forbes ranked Donaldson as YouTube's highest-earning creator, earning an estimated $54 million in 2021. Forbes stated that his income in 2021 would have placed him 40th in the 2020 Forbes Celebrity 100, earning as much money as Vin Diesel and Lewis Hamilton did in 2020.

July 28, 2022: Surpassed 100 Million Subscribers

On July 28, 2022, Donaldson surpassed 100 million subscribers on his main channel, making him the fifth channel and the second individual YouTuber to achieve this milestone.

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.

November 17, 2022: Guinness World Record

On November 17, 2022, Donaldson achieved the Guinness World Record for "Most Subscribers for an Individual Male on YouTube" with 112 million subscribers on his MrBeast channel.

2022: Streamy Award and Kids Choice Award

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.

October 15, 2023: Surpassed 200 Million Subscribers

On October 15, 2023, Donaldson surpassed 200 million subscribers on his YouTube channel.

2023: Streamy Award and inclusion in Time's 100 most influential

In 2023, Donaldson won the Creator of the Year award at the Streamy Awards and was named one of Time's 100 most influential people in the world.

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 10, 2024: First YouTuber to Surpass 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. It reached 71 million views in the first 24 hours.

2024: Highest-Paid YouTube Creator

In 2024, MrBeast ranked first on the Forbes list for the highest-paid YouTube creator.

May 2025: "Would You Fly to Paris for a Baguette?" Most Watched Video

As of May 2025, MrBeast's YouTube Shorts video "Would You Fly to Paris for a Baguette?" is the most-watched video on his main YouTube channel, with over 1.5 billion views and 56 million likes.