On the cusp of mainstream stardom, MrBeast is being sued

MrBeast, the self-proclaimed first YouTube billionaire, is being sued for alleged workplace abuses by five contestants on Beast Games, the show he is making for Amazon’s streaming service Prime Video. Amazon is also listed as a defendant in the case, filed in Los Angeles this week.

The suit is the latest instalment in a rapid turnaround in the fortunes of the 26-year-old, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson. So recently the darling of the internet, MrBeast now finds himself being savaged by it.

YouTube megastar MrBeast, aka Jimmy Donaldson, on a visit to Sydney in June to launch his Feastables products.Credit: Don Arnold/WireImage

Who is MrBeast?

Donaldson first emerged as a YouTuber of note in 2017 when he posted a video of himself counting to 100,000. For reasons that future scholars of the decline of Western civilisation will no doubt speculate upon, it became a viral sensation (the video, which runs just under 24 hours, has been viewed more than 30 million times).

He used his fame to build a following for stunt videos in which he put himself and others to the test, in challenges inspired by such TV shows as I’m a Celebrity, Survivor and, in a video that has clocked up 652 million views in the past two years, Squid Game.

Along the way, he offered prizes. To celebrate his 26th birthday in May, for example, he gave away 26 Teslas on Instagram; to enter the competition, you simply needed to like the post and tag two friends. His following there is now more than 60 million.

How rich is he?

Very. In a 2022 interview, Donaldson admitted he had done sponsorship deals for around the $3 million mark. He has also extended his reach into fast food, with a “virtual” burger brand, a chocolate brand (Feastables), and a lunch snack food brand (Lunchly).

But the main game is still hyper-excitable presentation-style video, offset by his partnerships with charities. Of his BeastPhilanthropy arm, Donaldson claims, “100 per cent of the profits from my ad revenue, merch sales, and sponsorships will go towards making the world a better place”.

He has reportedly declined an offer of $US1 billion for his entire operation, but claims he doesn’t even have access to his bank accounts – they are in the hands of his mother.

What are the allegations against him?

Amazon said in March it had commissioned Donaldson to produce Beast Games, a big-budget reality competition with a $US5 million prize. It marked his transition to the mainstream(ing) world.

Since July, stories have surfaced alleging racism and homophobia in Donaldson’s early online career as a gamer, and he has acknowledged he used “inappropriate language” in those days. A spokesman told the Associated Press last month: “After making some bad jokes and other mistakes when he was younger, as an adult, he has focused on engaging with the MrBeast community to work together on making a positive impact around the world.”

More recently, tales have emerged from the Beast Games set alleging poor working conditions and pay, and a gross misrepresentation of the odds of winning.

Last month, The New York Times reported that several contestants who had taken part in a contest filmed for his YouTube channel as a route to participation in the Amazon show said “they had not received adequate food or medical care ... had suffered injuries from the physical challenges” and some “had left the competition arena on stretchers”.

A week later, AP reported that MrBeast had ordered “a full assessment of the internal culture in his YouTube empire, as well as an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour by people in the company”.

In an internal memo obtained by AP, Donaldson wrote to staff: “As your leader, I take responsibility, and I am committed to continue to improve and evolve my leadership style. I recognise that I also need to create a culture that makes all our employees feel safe and allows them to do their best work.”

The lawsuit filed this week in relation to Beast Games alleges the “$100 million production” was guilty of fraud, tax avoidance, failure to pay a minimum wage or to provide food, hygiene products and medical care to contestants, and of creating a work environment that “systematically fostered a culture of misogyny and sexism”.

Filed on behalf of five anonymous contestants, the suit also alleges that the odds of winning were misrepresented because the true number of contestants was greater than 1000 (the precise number, however, has been redacted).

The competitors are seeking payments they allege are due – including for minimum wages, overtime, meal breaks, and any damages the court may deem warranted – and an order from the court that MrBeast institute “workplace reforms and training programs for employees and supervisors to prevent further harassment”.

A spokesman for Donaldson told AP that he had no comment on the lawsuit.

Amazon has not yet revealed an air date for Beast Games.

Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday.