| Human Profile | |
| Name: | James Stephen Donaldson |
| Birthday: | May 7, 1998 (age 27 years), Born in Wichita, Kansas |
| Height: | 6'5" (196 cm) |
| Education: | Greenville Christian Academy (Diploma) Pitt Community College (Dropped Out) |
| Subscribers: | 463M |
| Views: | 108,469,952,267 |
| YouTube Revenue: | $542.3M - $1.3B |
| Videos: | 939 |
| Channel Created: | February 2012 |
Overview
James Stephen Donaldson is an American YouTuber and entrepreneur recognized for elaborate stunts, challenges, and large cash giveaways often characterized as “stunt philanthropy,” and for founding ventures like MrBeast Burger and Feastables, alongside co-organizing environmental initiatives such as #TeamTrees and #TeamSeas.
Latest News (Jan 21, 2026): MrBeast is directing and starring in Salesforce's Super Bowl 60 commercial, set to air on February 8, 2026, and has teased that the ad could potentially make a viewer a millionaire. Additionally, episodes of his "Beast Games Season 2" are ongoing on Prime Video, where some contestants have already become millionaires, including one who accepted a $1 million bribe in Episode 3.
Early Life and Education
James Stephen Donaldson was born on May 7, 1998, in Wichita, Kansas. He was raised primarily in Greenville, North Carolina. His parents, who both served in the military, divorced in 2007, and he was mainly raised by his mother. Due to his parents’ long work hours, he and his older brother, CJ, were often cared for by au pairs.
Donaldson attended Greenville Christian Academy, a private evangelical Christian high school, where he played baseball and graduated in 2016. He briefly enrolled at East Carolina University but dropped out after a couple of weeks to dedicate himself entirely to his YouTube career. This decision was met with disapproval from his mother, who consequently asked him to leave the family home.
Career Beginnings on YouTube
Donaldson uploaded his first YouTube video in February 2012, at the age of 13, under the handle “MrBeast6000”. His initial content consisted of gaming videos, particularly “Let’s Plays” of games like Minecraft and Call of Duty, as well as videos estimating the wealth of other YouTubers and offering tips to aspiring creators.
During his early years on the platform, he experimented with various content styles. In 2015 and 2016, he gained some traction with a series titled “Worst Intros on YouTube,” where he would critique the introductory segments of other creators’ videos. By mid-2016, he had accumulated around 30,000 subscribers. After leaving college, he and his friends focused on analyzing YouTube’s algorithm to understand how to create viral videos.
Rise to Prominence
Donaldson’s channel experienced a significant breakthrough in January 2017 when he uploaded a video of himself counting to 100,000. The video, which took him over 40 hours to record, quickly went viral. This marked a shift in his content strategy towards producing videos centered around arduous, attention-grabbing stunts and challenges.
Following the success of his counting video, he began to focus on a new genre of content that involved large cash giveaways and prizes, which he termed “stunt philanthropy”. One of his early videos in this style featured him giving $10,000 to a homeless person, funded by a brand sponsorship. This format of combining elaborate challenges with significant philanthropic gestures became a hallmark of his channel, leading to a rapid increase in his subscriber count. By 2018, he had given away $1 million through his videos, earning the title of “YouTube’s biggest philanthropist”.
Major Projects and Ventures
As his channel grew, Donaldson expanded his brand into various business ventures and large-scale philanthropic projects. He has launched several additional YouTube channels, including MrBeast Gaming, Beast Philanthropy, and Beast Reacts.
Business Ventures
In December 2020, Donaldson launched MrBeast Burger, a virtual, delivery-only fast-food restaurant brand. The concept allows existing restaurants to prepare and sell MrBeast Burger menu items from their kitchens. He later opened a physical restaurant at the American Dream Mall in New Jersey. However, Donaldson has publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the quality control of the virtual chain and has pursued legal action to end his partnership with Virtual Dining Concepts.
In January 2022, he launched Feastables, a food company starting with a line of chocolate bars called “MrBeast Bars”. The brand has since expanded to include other snack products and is sold in major retail stores.
Philanthropic Initiatives
Donaldson has co-organized two major environmental fundraisers. In 2019, he launched #TeamTrees with former NASA engineer Mark Rober, aiming to raise $20 million to plant 20 million trees. The campaign successfully exceeded its goal, with donations going to the Arbor Day Foundation.
Following this success, he and Rober launched #TeamSeas in 2021. This project aimed to raise $30 million to remove 30 million pounds of plastic and trash from oceans, rivers, and beaches, with the funds going to the Ocean Conservancy and The Ocean Cleanup.
Controversies
Donaldson’s content and business practices have faced scrutiny. His “stunt philanthropy” has been criticized by some for being performative and for simplifying complex societal issues. There have also been allegations from former employees of a difficult work environment. The production of his Beast Games series for Amazon faced criticism regarding the on-set conditions for contestants. Furthermore, his early content has been criticized for containing problematic and offensive jokes.