In the early months of 2012, a shy 13-year-old named James ‘Jimmy’ Donaldson started a YouTube channel from his home in Greenville, North Carolina.
Operating under the username ‘MrBeast6000’, he shared commentaries on popular video games and estimated the wealth of top social media stars.
Few could have predicted his rise to global fame.
Over the next 12 years, Donaldson’s YouTube channel became the most popular and successful in the world.
Now 26, MrBeast, as he is known, has amassed 306 million subscribers and an estimated $700 million (£550m) fortune through a mix of pranks, challenges, and cash prizes.
He has expanded his brand to include multiple social media channels, a food delivery service, and his own chocolate snack line.
Currently, Donaldson and his vast empire face serious allegations against a regular collaborator and childhood friend.
Ava Kris Tyson is accused of sending inappropriate messages to a 13-year-old and posting ‘unacceptable social media posts’ that have been deleted.
One disturbing post from 2016 mentioned becoming aroused after viewing ‘loli’, a term for a Japanese form of virtual porn featuring young or young-looking girls.
The online reaction has been intense. Social media consultant Katya Varbanova explained, ‘History shows allegations can seriously impact personal brands, especially when the brand targets young audiences.’
This is a rare setback for a man whose empire has grown rapidly after a slow start.
MrBeast’s initial five years on YouTube saw little success, while his mother urged him to focus on his education.
He enrolled at East Carolina University in Greenville but dropped out after two weeks, spending most of his time editing videos in his car.
‘All I ever talked about at school was YouTube,’ he said in an interview last year. ‘People told me I was too obsessed and needed to get a life.’
His mother was so upset by his decision to quit school that she asked him to leave home.
However, her son soon proved her wrong in an unexpected way.
In 2017, at age 19, he released a video of himself counting to 100,000, which quickly garnered a cult following.
Donaldson gained tens of thousands of views in just a few days.
Today, he is known for fast-paced, high-production videos featuring elaborate challenges. He has re-enacted scenes from the Netflix show Squid Game, tied up an FBI agent, and crashed a train into a giant pit.
Alongside these stunts, MrBeast has engaged in notable philanthropy.
In January 2023, he funded cataract surgery for 1,000 blind people and donated 20,000 pairs of shoes to children in Africa.
His profile continues to grow, with most of his new videos attracting hundreds of millions of views.
Donaldson earned £42 million last year, according to Forbes. Last month, he surpassed the Indian music label T-Series to become the biggest YouTuber globally.
His success has not been without criticism. In 2018, former editor Matt Turner claimed working for MrBeast was the ‘most mentally draining’ part of his life, alleging he was yelled at and bullied.
Turner later apologised after it was pointed out that he had initially issued a grateful statement when they parted ways.
Critics also disapprove of the social experiments on Donaldson’s channel where people compete in unusual settings for cash prizes.
One critic likened him to a ‘demented Black Mirror-style gameshow host’, turning dystopian scenarios into reality.
Despite past criticism, Donaldson has remained largely unscathed—until now.
The recent allegations against his friend and colleague are harder to ignore.
Tyson, who grew up with Donaldson in North Carolina, was involved in the channel from the start.
Complicating matters is Tyson’s recent gender transition. Now a trans woman, Ava Kris Tyson was known as Chris until last year.
Her announcement led to hateful comments on social media, prompting Donaldson to denounce the transphobia.
In March 2023, Tyson revealed she and her wife, with whom she has a young son, had separated and she had started hormone replacement therapy.
The reaction was mixed; while many fans supported her, there was backlash on social media.
In response, MrBeast publicly intervened.
‘This is getting absurd,’ he tweeted. ‘Chris isn’t my ‘nightmare’ he’s my friend and things are fine. This transphobia is starting to anger me.’
Recently, Tyson has been accused of predatory behaviour, adding another layer to the controversy.
At 20, Tyson met a 13-year-old named ‘Lava’ after the child won a contest on MrBeast’s channel. They exchanged messages for years, which Lava, now an adult, admits were ‘inappropriate’ and ‘edgy’.
Several videos claim to show Instagram posts of Lava visiting Tyson at university. The Mail has not verified these claims.
Lava, now 20, denies any wrongdoing by Tyson, calling the video claims ‘massive lies’.
More questionable posts by Tyson have surfaced, showing interactions with controversial artist Shadman, known for drawing young characters in sexual poses.
All the tweets have since been deleted. Tyson, whose Twitter account is now private, apologised for her ‘past behaviour and comments’ and announced a hiatus from the MrBeast channel and social media to focus on her family and mental health.
Donaldson issued a statement on X, expressing disgust at Tyson’s alleged behaviour and announcing her removal from his company and channel pending an investigation.
PR expert Mark Borkowski notes the complexity of the situation, given the close-knit group of childhood friends involved in MrBeast’s rise.
‘The longer this goes unanswered, the more conspiracy theories and speculation will arise,’ he said.
Katya Varbonova agrees that a serious response is needed soon, warning that while the allegations might not permanently damage the MrBeast brand, they could be financially catastrophic in the short term.