He became famous for elaborate YouTube challenges with massive cash prizes and his viral 2017 video counting to 100,000 over 40 hours.

MrBeast, born James Stephen Donaldson on May 7, 1998, commands the most-subscribed individual YouTube channel with over 477 million subscribers. The Taurus-born creator built a media empire through high-stakes challenges and massive giveaways, reportedly reaching a net worth of $2.6 billion by 2026 according to Fortune. His Beast Industries conglomerate spans YouTube channels, MrBeast Burger restaurants, Feastables snacks, and philanthropy projects that raised over $94 million for environmental and humanitarian causes.

Donaldson uploaded his first YouTube video in February 2012 at age 13 under the username MrBeast6000, posting Minecraft gameplay and commentary on other creators. He spent five years obsessively studying YouTube's algorithm after dropping out of East Carolina University, a decision that caused his mother to force him to leave home. His breakthrough came in January 2017 when a 40-hour video of him counting to 100,000 went viral, transforming him from 30,000 subscribers to a content phenomenon.

Donaldson was born in Wichita, Kansas, and raised in Greenville, North Carolina, where he continues to live and operate his production headquarters. He graduated from Greenville Christian Academy in 2016, where he played baseball as an outfielder until Crohn's disease diagnosis forced him to quit sports. His parents, Susan Parisher and Charles Donaldson, divorced in 2007. As for relationship status, MrBeast is not married but has been in public relationships.