MrBeast
YouTuber · Entrepreneur · Philanthropist · Actor
b. 1998 · Born in Wichita, Kansas, United States · 4 min read
- Verified: 14 November 2026
- Sources: 7
- Independently reviewed
American YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, whose stunt and philanthropy videos made his channel the most subscribed on YouTube, and who founded the food brands Feastables and MrBeast Burger.
Early Life
James Stephen Donaldson was born on 7 May 1998 in Wichita, Kansas, and was raised in Greenville, North Carolina, with his older brother. His parents divorced when he was young, and he was largely raised by his mother, who served in the military. He began making videos as a teenager, filming on a laptop in his bedroom, and studied how YouTube's recommendation system worked, sharing what he learned with a small group of fellow creators.
Education
Donaldson attended Greenville Christian Academy and graduated from high school in 2016. He briefly attended East Carolina University in Greenville, but left after two weeks to work on YouTube full time, a decision his mother initially opposed. His education as a creator came from years of studying audience retention and testing video ideas.
Career
Donaldson created his YouTube channel in February 2012 under the name MrBeast6000. His early videos included Let's Play recordings, videos estimating the wealth of other YouTubers, and commentary on the platform. His breakthrough came in January 2017, when he published 'I Counted to 100,000!', a video of himself counting to 100,000 that took about 40 hours to film. The video's success led him to bigger stunts: giving away large sums of money, cars and houses, and staging elaborate challenges with large cash prizes. In 2018 he bought billboards and advertisements to support PewDiePie in the contest with T-Series for the most-subscribed channel. His channel passed 100 million subscribers in July 2022. In October 2019 he and fellow creator Mark Rober launched Team Trees, a fundraiser for the Arbor Day Foundation to plant 20 million trees. In 2020 he launched MrBeast Burger, a delivery-only restaurant brand, and in 2021 he and Rober launched Team Seas, a fundraiser to remove rubbish from the oceans. In 2022 he launched the chocolate brand Feastables. On 2 June 2024 his main channel passed T-Series to become the most subscribed on YouTube, and in July 2024 he became the first creator to pass 300 million subscribers. In December 2024 his competition series Beast Games premiered on Amazon Prime Video. In 2024 he also launched Lunchly, a lunch kit brand, with Logan Paul and KSI. In January 2026 the second season of Beast Games premiered on Amazon Prime Video. In February 2026 Beast Industries acquired Step, a finance app for teenagers and young adults. In September 2026 he published the thriller novel The Most Dangerous Games, written with James Patterson. In July 2026 he married the content creator Thea Booysen in a private ceremony on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands.
Achievements
Donaldson's central achievement is to have built the most-subscribed channel on YouTube, passing T-Series in June 2024 and becoming the first creator to pass 300 million subscribers the following month. His stunt videos, built around large cash prizes and giveaways, created a new format that many creators have copied. His dubbed channels in other languages, including Spanish and Portuguese, have extended his audience well beyond English-speaking viewers. His charity campaigns have raised large sums: Team Trees funded the planting of 20 million trees, and Team Seas funded the removal of millions of pounds of rubbish from the oceans. He has built a business around the channel, including the Feastables chocolate brand and MrBeast Burger, and in 2024 Forbes ranked him first among the highest-paid YouTube creators. His Beast Philanthropy channel funds a food pantry in Greenville, North Carolina. In June 2025 he became the first creator to pass 400 million subscribers, and on 12 June 2026 he became the first to pass 500 million. In January 2026 the second season of Beast Games premiered on Amazon Prime Video, and in February 2026 his company Beast Industries acquired the finance app Step.
- Published 'I Counted to 100,000!' in January 2017, his breakthrough viral video
- Passed 100 million subscribers in July 2022
- Co-founded Team Trees in 2019, funding the planting of 20 million trees
- Launched MrBeast Burger in 2020
- Co-founded Team Seas in 2021, funding the removal of rubbish from the oceans
- Launched the Feastables chocolate brand in 2022
- Became the most-subscribed channel on YouTube on 2 June 2024, passing T-Series
- Became the first creator to pass 300 million subscribers in July 2024
- Premiered the competition series Beast Games on Amazon Prime Video in December 2024
- Ranked first among the highest-paid YouTube creators by Forbes in 2024
- Became the first creator to pass 400 million subscribers in June 2025
- Became the first creator to pass 500 million subscribers on 12 June 2026
- Premiered the second season of Beast Games on Amazon Prime Video in January 2026
- Beast Industries acquired the finance app Step in February 2026
- Married the content creator Thea Booysen in July 2026
Legacy
Donaldson is remembered as the creator who turned YouTube into a large-scale production business, reinvesting his earnings into ever larger videos and new ventures. His philanthropy, including Team Trees and Team Seas, has been praised for directing a young audience toward charitable giving, while critics have questioned whether videos built around giving money to strangers turn charity into entertainment. In 2024, reports raised questions about workplace culture at his company, and Donaldson commissioned an independent investigation, which reported that allegations of sexual misconduct were without basis while identifying other workplace concerns. Because he is a living person whose work continues, this profile records only documented milestones and will need regular updating from reliable sources. In 2026 he married Thea Booysen and became the first creator to pass 500 million subscribers on YouTube.
Contributions
Donaldson's contribution was to create the modern YouTube stunt format, videos built around large cash prizes, elaborate challenges and large-scale giveaways, and to turn a single channel into a business spanning food brands, merchandise and television. His charity campaigns, Team Trees and Team Seas, showed how an online audience could be directed toward large fundraising goals, and his channel's rise past T-Series in 2024 marked the moment an individual creator overtook the platform's largest corporate channel.
Notable Works
- I Counted to 100,000! (2017)
- Team Trees (2019)
- MrBeast Burger (2020)
- Team Seas (2021)
- Feastables (2022)
- Beast Games (2024)
- Beast Games, season 2 (2026)
- The Most Dangerous Games (novel, 2026)
Milestones
- 1998 — Born on 7 May in Wichita, Kansas Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast)
- 2012 — Created his YouTube channel under the name MrBeast6000 Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast)
- 2016 — Graduated from high school; briefly attended East Carolina University Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast)
- 2017 — Published 'I Counted to 100,000!'; passed one million subscribers Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast)
- 2018 — Bought billboards and advertisements to support PewDiePie against T-Series Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast)
- 2019 — Launched Team Trees with Mark Rober Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast)
- 2020 — Launched MrBeast Burger Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast)
- 2021 — Launched Team Seas with Mark Rober Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast)
- 2022 — Launched Feastables; passed 100 million subscribers Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast)
- 2024 — Passed T-Series to become the most-subscribed channel on YouTube; passed 300 million subscribers Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast)
- 2024 — Beast Games premiered on Amazon Prime Video; launched Lunchly Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast)
- 2025 — Passed 400 million subscribers, the first creator to do so Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast)
- 2026 — Passed 500 million subscribers, the first creator to do so; Beast Games season 2 premiered; Beast Industries acquired Step; married Thea Booysen Source: Adweek; People magazine
Timeline
- 7 May 1998
Born in Wichita, Kansas
Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast) - 2012
Created his YouTube channel under the name MrBeast6000
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast) - 2016
Graduated from high school in Greenville, North Carolina
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast) - 9 January 2017
Published 'I Counted to 100,000!', his breakthrough viral video
Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast) - 2017
Passed one million subscribers
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast) - 25 October 2019
Launched Team Trees with Mark Rober
Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast) - 19 December 2020
Launched MrBeast Burger
Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast) - 29 October 2021
Launched Team Seas with Mark Rober
Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast) - 29 January 2022
Launched the Feastables chocolate brand
Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast) - 28 July 2022
Passed 100 million subscribers
Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast) - 2 June 2024
Passed T-Series to become the most-subscribed channel on YouTube
Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast) - 10 July 2024
Became the first creator to pass 300 million subscribers
Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast) - 19 December 2024
Beast Games premiered on Amazon Prime Video
Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast) - 2025
Became the first creator to pass 400 million subscribers
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast) - 7 January 2026
The second season of Beast Games premiered on Amazon Prime Video
Source: The Movie Database - 2026
Beast Industries acquired Step, a finance app for teenagers and young adults
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Adweek - 12 June 2026
Became the first creator to pass 500 million subscribers
Source: Adweek - 2026
Married Thea Booysen in a private ceremony on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands
Year only — exact date unknown Source: People magazine - 2026
Published the thriller novel The Most Dangerous Games, written with James Patterson
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Adweek
Related Personalities
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is MrBeast?
MrBeast was born on 7 May 1998 in Wichita, Kansas, United States, so MrBeast is 28 years old as of November 2026. MrBeast's age changes every year on 7 May. His main channel is the most subscribed on YouTube.
Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast)Who is MrBeast?
MrBeast is the online name of James Stephen 'Jimmy' Donaldson (born 7 May 1998), an American YouTuber, entrepreneur and philanthropist. His main channel, known for stunt videos and large giveaways, is the most subscribed on YouTube.
Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast)What is MrBeast's real name?
MrBeast's real name is James Stephen Donaldson, known as Jimmy Donaldson. He began his channel in 2012 under the name MrBeast6000 and later shortened it to MrBeast.
Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast)How did MrBeast become famous?
Donaldson became famous in January 2017 with the video 'I Counted to 100,000!', in which he counted to 100,000 on camera over about 40 hours. The video went viral, and he followed it with ever larger stunts, challenges and giveaways.
Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast)What are Team Trees and Team Seas?
Team Trees, launched in October 2019 with Mark Rober, was a fundraiser for the Arbor Day Foundation to plant 20 million trees. Team Seas, launched in October 2021, was a fundraiser with the Ocean Conservancy and The Ocean Cleanup to remove rubbish from the oceans.
Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast)What businesses does MrBeast run?
Donaldson runs the food brands Feastables, a chocolate brand launched in 2022, and MrBeast Burger, a delivery-only restaurant brand launched in 2020, as well as Lunchly, a lunch kit brand launched in 2024 with Logan Paul and KSI. His competition series Beast Games premiered on Amazon Prime Video in December 2024. In February 2026 Beast Industries acquired Step, a finance app for teenagers and young adults.
Source: Wikipedia (MrBeast) ; ForbesIs MrBeast married?
Yes. Donaldson married the South African content creator Thea Booysen in July 2026 in a private ceremony on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands. The couple met in South Africa in 2022 and became engaged on Christmas Day 2024.
Source: People magazineSources & References
- MrBeast — Wikipedia — Wikipedia (accessed 13 November 2026)
- MrBeast — Forbes profile — Forbes (accessed 13 November 2026)
- MrBeast — Official YouTube channel — YouTube (accessed 13 November 2026)
- File:MrBeast 2023.jpg — Wikimedia Commons (portrait file page) — Wikimedia Commons (accessed 13 November 2026)
- MrBeast Surpasses 500 Million YouTube Subscribers — Adweek (accessed 14 November 2026)
- Who Is MrBeast's Wife? All About Fellow Gamer Thea Booysen — People magazine (accessed 14 November 2026)
- Beast Games: Season 2 (2026) — The Movie Database (accessed 14 November 2026)