The marketing phenomenon that is MrBeast is hard to avoid; we even have discussed him previously in these abstracts (“Finding and Defining Value on YouTube: A Marketing Perspective,” June 2023). Jimmy Donaldson, in his role as MrBeast, is one of YouTube’s most popular content creators, known for such attention-grabbing and seemingly generous stunts as tipping servers in gold bars. With each follow and click from audience members, MrBeast also commits to making charitable donations.

But attention often courts controversy, and MrBeast is no exception. Critics assert that using philanthropy to generate views is inherently unethical, because it establishes a perverse and unrealistic model of giving, in which wealthy “saviors” donate, but their main motive is to benefit themselves, by boosting their own brands. Specific to MrBeast content, critics also note that some of the stunts seemingly rely on causing harm, or even breaking laws, such as when he steals tip jars before replacing them with $10,000 tips, or when he cuts the cords on strangers’ earphones before surprising them with Air Pods.

Building on his YouTube reputation, MrBeast also has branched out, in a collaboration with Amazon Prime Video to create a reality competition show called Beast Games. Even as it attracts literally hundreds of millions of viewers, the show has evoked strongly negative responses from television critics, who pan it, vigorously and widely. Reviews on Rotten Tomatoes refer to it as a “pathetic, sweaty, dystopian trainwreck”; assert that it “exists solely to show us the worst of the human condition, as obnoxiously as possible”; and acknowledge that MrBeast “didn’t become the biggest YouTuber in the world because of charisma, cleverness, or creativity…. Beast Games makes it abundantly clear he has none of these qualities.” More seriously though, a lawsuit filed by five female contestants alleges mistreatment by Donaldson’s production company MrB2024, including failures to provide adequate food or breaks, along with a broader culture of misogyny. 

If his formula for providing content keeps appealing to massive audiences though, maybe MrBeast does not need to worry about the critics. Instead, it appears that Donaldson has taken the serious allegations to heart, such that fans note a perceptible shift in MrBeast content. For example, in introducing and promoting his line of Feastables chocolate bars, Donaldson has been consistent in emphasizing his ongoing efforts to address and eliminate child labor in West African cocoa farming. 

Furthermore, there seems to be an emergent and adjusted consciousness in recent videos: Participants are actively treated as autonomous individuals, rather than included simply for the usefulness they offer to the production. At times, Donaldson acknowledges the reality that people face, such that many of the participants in his stunts are truly in desperate need of the resources that he provides like a game. 

Even if Donaldson may be engaged in a process of maturation or ethical reconsiderations—whether driven by critics, the risk of penalties, or a sincere self-reflection related to what it means to achieve such remarkable levels of wealth and success—he continues to recognize the foundational, primary reason for his charitable endeavors: making his YouTube videos more popular. Thus the question that remains is a universal one: Do selfish motivations negate the benefits that result from charitable actions? The answer is relevant not just to MrBeast but to any marketers that seek to establish and create value, for themselves and others. 

Discussion Questions 

1. Is it possible for any for-profit company to pursue philanthropy for altruistic reasons?
2. What changes might MrBeast make, to make his charitable endeavors seem less exploitative?

Sources: Jon Caramanica, “What’s Next for MrBeast? Class Consciousness,” The New York Times, February 6, 2025; Rotten Tomatoes, “Beast Games: Season 1 Reviews,”https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/beast_games/s01/reviews (accessed April 25, 2025); Paul Tassi, “Are You Out of Touch About Amazon’s ‘Beast Games,’ or Are the Children Wrong?” Forbes, January 26, 2025; Matthew Wade, “Kindness for Clicks: MrBeast and the Problem of Philanthropy as Spectacle,” Australian Broadcasting Corporation, June 21, 2023; Tom Gerken, “MrBeast Is YouTube’s Biggest Star—Now He Faces 54-Page Lawsuit,” BBC, September 21, 2024