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The Toxic Company Culture That Could Bring MrBeast Down

Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson has been a dominant force on YouTube ever since 2017, when a video of him counting to 100,000 went viral, but it seemed that 2024 would take things to an even higher level. Think about all he’s accomplished in recent months. In June 2024, he reached a milestone as his channel overtook T-Series, an Indian music channel, to become the largest on the platform, and just a few months earlier, a video of his smashed the record for most views in 24 hours. Furthermore, the 26-year-old signed a major deal with Amazon to produce Beast Games, a massive reality TV competition with 1,000 contestants competing for a $5 million prize. He’s even launched a new toy line to be sold exclusively at Target. Yet, as the year comes to a close, a series of scandals threatens to unravel his empire.

Although MrBeast’s recent uploads still garner around 100 million views, this is a significant decline from the 250 million-plus views he often achieved in 2023. The once steady ascent of his brand now faces a significant crisis, with previously devoted fans questioning whether to stick with him.

Controversy Erupts

The trouble began in the summer with allegations involving Donaldson’s close collaborator Ava Tyson, who was accused of sending inappropriate messages to a minor in 2016. Tyson issued an apology and left MrBeast’s company, but the incident sparked further scrutiny. Internet sleuths uncovered the accusations of sexual assault within the organization. A former employee, YouTuber Dogpack404, detailed these allegations in a video, and has since faced legal threats from Donaldson’s lawyers.

Donaldson’s current image is polished and family-friendly, but his early YouTube days were filled with trollish humor typical of teenage internet culture. This history, coupled with accusations that he fosters a “boys’ club” atmosphere, has fueled concerns about the work culture at MrBeast’s company. Furthermore, Donaldson’s connections with controversial figures, such as billionaire Peter Thiel and fellow YouTuber Logan Paul, have compounded these worries. Thiel’s right-wing views and Paul’s history of scandals have made these partnerships particularly contentious.