Jimmy Donaldson - better known to the online world as MrBeast - is the most popular YouTuber on the planet and is making huge amounts of money as a result.
A quarter-century-old individual has gone beyond video production and now owns his own fast-food enterprise, MrBeast Burger. News regarding the chain made waves lately given that the proprietor has filed a lawsuit against the organization backing the restaurant asserting that patrons were finding the cuisine “foul”.
He is known most notably for YouTube, and in November 2022, Forbes estimated his revenue from it to be $54m (£42.5m) in a single year. This derived from both advertising income from videos and sponsorship contracts. After that time, an additional 60 million followers subscribed to his main channel, bringing his total up to 172 million.
He also owns multiple outlets with subscriber numbers in the tens of millions, one of which is dedicated to charitable causes whilst another is devoted to video gaming.
It's uncertain just how much money he actually gets. Donaldson has gained repute for investing the money he earns back into his high-priced videos, some of which cost millions to make. He revealed to a podcast in June that he reinvests "all of the money I make".
This approach to content could be speculated to have something to do with the enormity of the American YouTuber's following - since it raises the bar.
The most popular video he has ever done, which has amassed 472 million views, is a recreation of the Netflix smash Squid Game, with a cash prize of $456,000 up for grabs.
In 2017, his most watched videos featured him repeatedly uttering "Logan Paul" for 17 hours and one in which he gave pizza delivery drivers hundreds of dollars in tips, both of which gained between 20 and 40 million views.
Aside from his films, Donaldson is renowned for his generosity, plus numerous business activities. His authorized non-profit organization serves as a food bank to nourish communities throughout the US, and he has been successful in sourcing tens of millions of dollars for environmental protection.
Furthermore, MrBeast has also created a collection of snacks called Feastables, which have continually sold out in the UK.
Ads can be counted on by YouTubers as a significant source of income - however, there are times when even this does not cover the expenses of MrBeast.
Donaldson announced to his Twitter followers in July that his latest video, which had a production cost of around $3 million, had earned him $167,000 from advertising in a few days. Even taking into account the duration of the footage, it is improbable that the cost would be recouped.
This is the purpose of sponsorship deals; some content creators rely on this income more than ads.
Lucy Edwards, who has 705,000 subscribers to her YouTube channel and who in 2019 was appointed BBC Radio 1's first blind presenter, informed the BBC that a large proportion of her earnings are acquired via brand collaborations.
She mentioned that she is the globally recognized face of Pantene, a shampoo and hair care brand.
I have several one-time campaigns every month, around four or five, and we make a small amount of money through ads on TikTok and YouTube.
She typically utilizes shorter pieces of content than Donaldson's, the most watched video from her lasting only two and a half minutes but it was still able to accumulate two million views.
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She remarked that because of their usual length, between 10 and 20 minutes, MrBeast and other YouTubers like him could have the potential to make more money.
She stated that if somebody was a long-form creator, incorporating post-roll, pre-roll, and mid-roll advertisements, and their material exceeded eight minutes in length, they would be achieving considerable ad revenue.
But all the brands also desire short-form content, so maintaining a combination of the two is essential.
Donaldson's videos are difficult to place into a specific category.
Usually, they include an arduous task, e.g. a video remaining intact in sub-zero temperatures in Antarctica, or hefty awards - a game of hide and seek with a one million dollar prize, for instance.
His most up-to-date video is out of the ordinary; it consists of a train being directed away from its tracks and into a deep hole.
Steven Bridges, a YouTuber boasting 470,000 subscribers, informed the BBC that the factor behind Donaldson's progress is his imagination: "What I find incredible about MrBeast is his unwavering commitment to generating the most outstanding video possible.
When he posts a video, people click it immediately, as they are aware that he puts in a great deal of effort to make sure it is amusing and enjoyable.
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Bridges has come up with a different approach to YouTube lately, shifting from his usual magic-related content to card counting. His top video, showcasing a London tourist scam, has received 4.6 million views.
He stated that it is incredibly difficult to maintain a 10-year career on YouTube.
But MrBeast has just one priority: providing the viewers with something that they are sure to enjoy.
Donaldson's success on YouTube can quite possibly be attributed to his amiable character - when he surpassed PewDiePie to become the most popular content creator on the website, his adversary simply wished him well and indicated he was worthy of the accomplishment.
Although Donaldson is the YouTuber with the most subscribers, his channel is not the largest one.
T-Series, a music video publishing firm based in India, is at the forefront in that area with 246 million subscribers.
It would take a daring individual to wager that Donaldson will not be the first YouTuber after PewDiePie to surpass T-Series as the most subscribed channel, since there are already 172 million subscribers and counting.
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