The rise of MrBeast: YouTuber’s career timeline explained

Jimmy ‘MrBeast’ Donaldson is the biggest name in the online entertainment industry that there is, with the most subscribers on YouTube and ridiculously high-budget content.

But how did this philanthropist internet personality rise to the top and claim the internet’s crown? We’ve got you covered.

Here is a complete timeline of MrBeast’s career, including how he gained a following, his biggest achievements, and the controversies he has faced so far.

MrBeast starts his YouTube career

MrBeast first started posting on YouTube over a decade ago in 2012 when he was just 13, but didn’t gain much traction until his “Worst Intros on YouTube” series in 2015 and 2016.

Shortly after, he dropped out of university to pursue a career on the social media platform, a decision his mom was less than pleased about.

As MrBeast’s subscriber count grew, he hired four of his friends to help out and appear on the channel. Included were Ava Kris Tyson, Chandler Hallow, Garrett Ronalds, and Jake Franklin.

Growing a following and going viral

Early in 2017, MrBeast went viral after posting a video of himself in January counting to 100,000. The video was shockingly almost an entire day long, with parts sped up to “keep it under 24 hours”.

It was MrBeast’s breakthrough and signaled a change in his content, as he began posting more videos using a similar concept. From staying underwater for 24 hours (which failed) to watching paint dry, he had found his niche and hit one million subscribers the same year.

MrBeast’s content also began featuring money handouts, earning him a reputation as “YouTube’s biggest philanthropist”. By 2018, he had dished out his first $1 million.

The same year MrBeast reached 10,000,000 subscribers and in 2019, began hosting large-scale competitions with huge cash prizes soon became the norm on the YouTuber’s channel.

MrBeast’s biggest videos, views, and records

In November 2021, MrBeast recreated Netflix’s popular television series Squid Game as a real-life competition with less deadly consequences and a $456,000 cash prize.

Garnering 130 million views within the first week, the video became one of YouTube’s most-watched videos in 2021. But MrBeast would soon break this record again.

MrBeast hit 100 million subscribers in 2022 and took home the Guinness World Record of “Most Subscribers for an Individual Male on YouTube”, only to double his subscriber count just one year later.

By 2024, the race for the most-followed YouTube account began as MrBeast’s following crept closer and closer to the Indian-based company T-Series. He surpassed the channel on June 2 and went on to become the first creator to hit 300 million subscribers on July 10.

The YouTuber celebrated this achievement by hosting another competition, titled “50 YouTubers Fight for $1,000,000″, which ultimately became his most-viewed video within its first 24 hours after reaching 71 million views.

While his exact net worth isn’t known, it has been suggested to be approximately $1 billion, as of July 2024.

Philanthropy efforts

Over the years, a huge component of MrBeast’s content has been philanthropic. This can be dated back to his earliest success, with the YouTuber helping the homeless by donating to shelters, handing out cash, and even buying a grocery store to give out free food.

In his latest video, @MrBeast gave 20,000 kids in South Africa their first pair of shoes

pic.twitter.com/HuOAvy9aIC

— Dexerto (@Dexerto) March 8, 2023

The extent of aid provided grew alongside MrBeast’s rise up YouTube’s ranks, and in early 2023, he cured 1,000 people’s blindness. Later that year in November, he traveled across Africa building 100 wells to provide clean drinking water to villages and schools. In June 2024, he built 100 houses for impoverished families.

While MrBeast has received backlash for his efforts, he made it clear via X (formerly Twitter) that he didn’t intend to let threats of cancelation stop him from helping others.

“I already know I’m gonna get canceled because I uploaded a video helping people, and to be 100% clear, I don’t care. I’m always going to use my channel to help people and try to inspire my audience to do the same.”

Branching into other industries

While YouTube has remained MrBeast’s main avenue, the businessman has ventured into other industries with a burger chain, chocolate line, toys, and even a deal with Amazon’s Prime Video to produce his own TV show.

In 2020, MrBeast stepped into the world of fast food with his very own ‘MrBeast Burger’ chain, launching over 2,000 locations to help small businesses. But just two years later in 2023, it was announced that MrBeast would be “moving on” from the Beast Burger restaurants.

Instead, the internet personality turned his focus to a sweet dealer: chocolate bars. In early 2022, MrBeast revealed his Feastables snacking brand, the line proving so immensely popular that it almost “sold out” everywhere in 2024.

Outside of food, it was reported in early 2024 that MrBeast was closing on a deal with Amazon Prime that would allow him to make his first TV game show, Beast Games. The announcement officially came in March, with MrBeast promising fans “the largest game show in history”.

Applications to participate opened in May and filming began in August, though the news was followed by a series of allegations surrounding inadequate set conditions. MrBeast has yet to respond to the claims about his set himself.

An interactive toy line was also released in 2024 called ‘MrBeast Lab – Swarms’, though this was overshadowed by further controversy the Youtuber had found himself in the midst of.

Controversy

Despite his generally positive reputation, MrBeast has been involved in his fair share of controversies and faced various accusations over the years, from “glorifying” Squid Games to faking videos to fostering a toxic work environment.

But the most recent scandal in 2024 has proven to be the biggest MrBeast has yet faced after his friend and co-worker Ava Kris Tyson was accused of having inappropriate relationships with minors.

Tyson promptly left the team and MrBeast announced a third-party investigation, but this didn’t stop things from spiraling worse for the YouTuber as the scandal brought about an onslaught of further allegations.

Not only were viewers upset over MrBeast’s association with Tyson, but a former employee alleged the YouTuber’s videos were fraudulent and that he had knowingly hired a “registered sex offender”.

In response, MrBeast hired a lawyer who threatened the ex-employee with a cease and desist letter over the “false and defamatory” claims. As of now, the situation remains unsolved, though PR experts have warned taking legal action may not have been the best move for the YouTuber.