YouTube has always been a content creator’s paradise, billed as a hub for personal expression and niche followings. The platform has allowed individuals with any interest to cultivate a dedicated fanbase. Early YouTube stars like PewDiePie and DanTDM built massive followings by producing revolutionary content such as video game playthroughs.

MrBeast started his YouTube journey in a similar vein, posting content he was passionate about, often considered ‘stupid’ or ‘edgy,’ such as microwaving a microwave or counting to 200,000.

However, James Donaldson (MrBeast) recognized that to truly break through, he needed to diversify his content. This led to the second phase of his channel, where he realized that reinvesting a significant portion of his YouTube earnings into larger-scale productions would be key to growing his audience.

By creating viral videos like ‘I Ordered a Pizza and Tipped the House,’ where he generously tipped pizza delivery drivers with keys to houses, MrBeast garnered millions of views daily. Simultaneously, he adopted a more family-friendly approach by removing profanity and controversial content, aligning with YouTube’s guidelines to maximise his earnings per video. This strategy enabled him to steadily increase his budget per video, eventually reaching a point where each production cost half a million dollars.

MrBeast has become a YouTube powerhouse, with over 487 million subscribers across multiple channels. He has diversified his content, returning to niche topics like reactions and gaming on channels like MrBeast Reacts and MrBeast Gaming. He continues to produce large-scale challenges, such as “If You Build a House, I’ll Pay for It.” on games like Minecraft. Now that they have reached the peak viewership on youtube.

As Cunningham and Craig note, modern content creators are not just creators but also entrepreneurs who must maintain their visibility. MrBeast has transcended his role as a YouTuber, becoming a celebrity and influential figure, particularly among younger audiences. He has leveraged his fame to launch various ventures, including a toy line available in major retailers and a chocolate company. He also previously owned a successful fast-food chain, MrBeast Burgers, with approximately 1,000 locations worldwide at its peak..

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“MrBeast Burger Locations.” Sportskeeda.com, 2022, http://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/mrbeast-burger-locations. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.

Stuart Cunningham and David Craig (2019), ‘Creator Labor’, Social Media Entertainment: The New Intersection of Hollywood and Silicon Valley, 65-114