Anyone who's spent time online in the past decade has likely heard of the one-man phenomenon who goes by MrBeast.

Starting out with humble YouTube beginnings at 13 years old, Jimmy Donaldson has become a household name around the world.

Over the years, he's built a name for himself through jaw-dropping challenges, philanthropic efforts, giveaways—and even a game show with a $5 million prize (one of the largest prizes ever rewarded on reality TV).

Needless to say, MrBeast has built a business empire that few could even imagine. With all his over-the-top videos, you just have to wonder: how much money does MrBeast actually make?

Whether you're an entrepreneur, an aspiring YouTuber, or simply fascinated by how creators push the boundaries of online success, there’s a lot to learn from this case study.

In this article, we'll take a detailed look at MrBeast’s net worth, revenue streams, and the strategies that set him apart.

At a glance: MrBeast key stats & facts

Name James Stephen "Jimmy" Donaldson
Born May 7, 1998
Age of his first million dollars 21
Birth city Wichita, Kansas
Hometown Greenville, North Carolina
Income sources YouTube, merchandise, sponsorships, content licensing, investments, burger brand MrBeast Burger, chocolate brand Feastables
Estimated earnings $700 million/year ($53 million/month)
YouTube ad revenue $3 million/month

Who is MrBeast?

mrbeast profile pic

Jimmy Donaldson was born May 1, 1998, and grew up in Greenville, North Carolina. He started uploading videos to YouTube in early 2012 under the username MrBeast6000.

When he first started, his content included “Let’s Play” videos, a popular trend where he recorded himself playing video games, as well as videos like estimating the net worth of popular YouTubers. (Sound familiar?)

His first taste of virality came in 2017 when he posted a 24-hour-long video of himself counting to 100,000. He even included a disclaimer stating that there were actually 40 total hours of content, but YouTube limited him to 24 hours maximum.

Surprisingly, this video brought in tens of thousands of views in a few days. It currently rests at more than 30 million views.

Leveraging his growth

Over time, his videos become more ambitious, elaborate, and sometimes plain ridiculous. 

A few years into his YouTube career, he started making money. He immediately reinvested it back into his efforts—a key strategy that's certainly a big part of all of his success today. (We’ll dive more into that later.)

As his channel grew, he brought on some of his childhood friends to help manage the brand.

He now operates 5 main YouTube channels:

  • MrBeast: His main channel, which features elaborate challenges, philanthropic acts, and large-scale projects
  • Beast Reacts: A reaction channel where he and his team react to various videos and topics
  • MrBeast Gaming: A channel focused on gaming content, including challenges and gameplay
  • MrBeast 2: A secondary channel for shorter and bonus content
  • Beast Philanthropy: A channel dedicated to his charitable efforts, showcasing content like his donations and community initiatives

On top of that, many of these channels are translated into other languages with their own separate channels, including:

  • MrBeast en Français (French)
  • MrBeast На Русском (Russian)
  • Beast Reacts en Español (Spanish)
  • MrBeast Gaming Brasil
  • MrBeast in Arabic - مستر بيست بالعربي

Fast forward to today, and MrBeast is the #1 YouTube channel in the world. 

At the time of writing this article, MrBeast has over 340 million subscribers, 840 videos, and an incredible 68 billion views across them all.

mrbeast youtube screenshot

Disclaimer: Money earned vs net worth

It’s clear that MrBeast makes a whole lot of money, which we’ll get into soon.

But before we dive deeper into the numbers, we need to make a clear distinction about the definitions we’re using…

There’s a big difference between:

  • The money he earns
  • The money he physically has now
  • His net worth, including the brands and channels he owns (also called assets)

Why is this important to distinguish?

While he earns millions of dollars per month (and even per video), Donaldson has said over and over again that he constantly reinvests his earnings back into his videos and business ventures. In one interview, he even said:

“For the last 8 or 9 years, every dollar I’ve made, I’ve just spent it the next month on content.”

This means that at any given moment, he doesn’t really physically have all the millions that he earns. He puts that money back into creating videos—which often include mind-blowing acts of charity, like giving away millions in cash, cars, houses, and even an island.

But with each cycle of reinvestment, and with each leap in his brand’s growth, his net worth becomes higher.

This is important to keep in mind as we talk about his money, as well as the lessons you can learn from how to be a successful business owner yourself.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

How much money does MrBeast have?

mrbeast surrounded by money

While MrBeast has never explicitly disclosed all of his earnings, he’s shared bits and pieces over the years during various media interviews. If you do some research, you'll find a wide range of figures, ranging from a modest $100 million to upwards of $1 billion.

Some even speculate that he’s worth $20 billion—which may very well be possible. In 2022, his businesses were valued at $1.5 billion, and they’ve only kept growing since then.

Let’s explore and breakdown how much money MrBeast makes.

How much does MrBeast make per year?

In 2021, MrBeast reportedly earned $54 million. This year, It’s estimated that MrBeast will make around $700 million from all of his business ventures, which include:

  • Multiple YouTube channels
  • Merchandise
  • Sponsorships
  • Content licensing
  • Investments
  • His fast food brand MrBeast Burger
  • His chocolate brand Feastables

How much money does MrBeast make per month?

From YouTube ad revenue alone, MrBeast earns an estimated $3 million every month—and that’s a conservative estimate.

This number doesn’t include revenue from sponsorships, merchandise, or his businesses, so his true monthly income is much higher.

If we look at the estimated $700 million per year figure, that brings us to over $53 million per month.

How much does MrBeast make per video?

It’s safe to say that MrBeast earns several million per video, including money from ad revenue and sponsorships.

Let’s try and calculate his potential ad revenue based on what we know about YouTube’s pay structure.

YouTube works on a CPM model, which stands for “cost per thousand” views. (In case you’re wondering, the M stands for mille, which is the Latin word for thousand. Nobody can tell you why it’s not just CPT. 🤷‍♂️)

MrBeast's CPM (cost per thousand views) is estimated to be around $20, which means he earns $20 for every 1,000 video views he gets. With videos often surpassing 50 million views, a single video could generate over $1 million in ad revenue alone.

Let’s try doing the math on his most-viewed video ever: “$456,000 Squid Game In Real Life!”

mrbeast youtube thumbnail

Since this video was posted in 2021, it’s racked up 686 million views. If we apply the estimated $20 CPM:

686,000,000 ÷ 1,000 = 686,000

686,000 x $20 = $13,720,000

That means this video made nearly $14 million in ad revenue!

And this figure doesn’t even include potential sponsorships, which can bring the figure up several million more.

The bottom line: MrBeast is not doing too shabby in the finances department.

Food ventures: MrBeast Burger and Feastables

Beyond YouTube revenue and sponsorships, MrBeast has built significant income through food ventures.

His first major business expansion came in December 2020 with MrBeast Burger. He partnered with Virtual Dining Concepts—a company that lets creators launch food brands using existing restaurant kitchens for delivery apps.

He tested the concept with a free launch event in North Carolina that included cash giveaways to customers.

The business model promised strong returns. Each of the 300 locations paid licensing fees to use the MrBeast name. These fees created a new revenue stream independent of his content earnings.

mrbeast instagram beast burger

Early signs looked promising. Their physical store at American Dream Mall sold 5,500 burgers on opening day. But by 2023, the partnership unraveled. MrBeast filed a lawsuit over quality concerns, leading Virtual Dining Concepts to countersue for $100 million.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that MrBeast Burger generated $223 million in revenue in 2023.

Undeterred by the setback, MrBeast launched Feastables, a chocolate and snacks brand, in 2022. For its debut, he created a Willy Wonka-inspired contest where fans could win a real chocolate factory—that's right, they win a chance to compete in a MrBeast video for ownership* in his chocolate factory...crazy!

mrbeast feastibles

Feastables quickly gained popularity, reaching $100 million in annual revenue by early 2024. The brand secured major visibility through an NBA sponsorship deal with the Charlotte Hornets, displaying their bright blue logo on team jerseys, and expanded distribution to nationwide retailers like Walmart and 7-Eleven.

These food businesses play a big part in MrBeast's growing wealth. Along with his YouTube empire, sponsorship deals, and other ventures, they're projected to make him $700 million in revenue in 2024.

Merchandise, sponsorships, and other income sources

MrBeast also makes tons of money through merchandise sales and brand sponsorships.

His merchandise operation brings in about $2.25 million monthly through his online store, which offers everything from hoodies and hats to activewear. Meanwhile, his primary sponsorship deals add another $1 million per month.

The YouTube sensation is known for having high standards when it comes to brand partnerships. Basically, he looks for companies that fit naturally with his content style and what his audience expects.

For brands that make the cut, MrBeast demands premium rates—between $2.5 to $3 million per video feature. It's a price brands are willing to pay, knowing how much his audience trusts his recommendations.

Instead of pocketing profits, MrBeast reinvests them into his videos. He calls the approach "reinvesting to the point of stupidity," something that seems to be paying off judging by his ever-growing viewership and influence in the creator economy.

Beyond merchandise and sponsorships, MrBeast earns through content licensing. He professionally dubs his videos in multiple languages including Spanish, French, Russian, and Arabic. The strategy helps him reach global audiences while creating additional revenue streams from existing content.

mrbeast spanish youtube screenshot

Philanthropy and generosity

MrBeast has built a business empire worth hundreds of millions. Alongside his entrepreneurial success, his commitment to giving back has become a defining part of his career. Here's a look at his various philanthropic efforts and the impact they’ve had.

TeamTrees and TeamSeas

In 2019, MrBeast teamed up with YouTuber Mark Rober to launch #TeamTrees—a campaign to combat deforestation by planting 20 million trees. The initiative raised over $23 million, exceeding its target and funding reforestation projects across the globe.

Encouraged by this, MrBeast and Mark launched #TeamSeas in 2021. This time, the focus was on removing trash from oceans and rivers. The campaign inspired millions and resulted in 30 million pounds of waste being cleared from oceans and rivers.

Beast philanthropy

beast philanthropy homepage

In 2020, MrBeast launched Beast Philanthropy to scale and sustain his charitable initiatives. As a dedicated nonprofit, it focuses on tackling issues like hunger, poverty, and access to basic necessities.

Mr. Beast channels 100% of the organization’s revenue from ads and merchandise into funding its programs. Additionally, he actively oversees operations to ensure donations are used efficiently and transparently.

Local impact

Launching Beast Philanthropy has allowed MrBeast to tackle urgent issues across the U.S. The organization works with local charities to support food banks and help communities struggling with hunger.

MrBeast also steps in to assist individuals directly. He has funded cataract surgeries for 1,000 people, restoring their vision. Families in emergencies have also received financial assistance to prevent evictions and stabilize their lives.

Through these targeted efforts, Beast Philanthropy continues to uplift communities nationwide.

Global outreach

mrbeast global outreach philanthropy

Beast Philanthropy’s reach extends far beyond American borders. 

In Cameroon, the organization built wells that provide clean drinking water to thousands of people in remote villages. 

In Uganda, Beast Philanthropy partnered with GiveDirectly to donate $200,000 to over 300 families. This support helped meet basic needs, put children in school, and start small businesses.

These various initiatives reflect MrBeast's growing commitment to charitable giving. Through Beast Philanthropy, environmental campaigns, and direct assistance, he has donated more than $45 million to causes worldwide over the past decade.

Loving MrBeast's story? Get inspired by other success stories, made right here on Whop:

5 strategies to take from MrBeast's playbook

There’s a reason MrBeast has reached a level of success that no other creator has ever matched. He’s a master business and marketing strategist with lessons that go far beyond viral videos.

If you’re looking to grow your business, expand your online presence, or simply make more money, here are five actionable strategies from MrBeast’s playbook to get you started.  

1. Reinvest your earnings

One of MrBeast’s most famous success secrets is his willingness to put nearly every dollar he earns right back into his content. Instead of pocketing millions, he reinvests in bigger, bolder videos that consistently capture attention worldwide.

It feels intuitive to save the money that you earn. But if you really want to grow instead of stay stagnant, you’ll need to take a risk and double down on what’s working.

mrbeast twitter screenshot

How to apply it:

  • Take what you earn and funnel it into growth-focused areas, whether that’s marketing campaigns, product development, or improving customer experience. 
  • If you’re running an online business, allocate funds for better tools, ad spend, or an upgraded website that will enhance user engagement. 

2. Build and engage your community

MrBeast doesn’t just post videos—he builds a culture. His massive following isn’t just a crowd. It’s a fiercely loyal community supported through constant interaction and genuinely entertaining content. From replying to comments to hosting giveaways, he puts his audience first.

When people feel connected to your brand, they’re not just buyers. They’re supporters, advocates, and cheerleaders.

How to apply it:

  • Actively engage with your audience on social media, respond to their comments and messages, and make them feel seen and included.
  • Create loyalty programs or exclusive perks that make your customers feel valued, like discounts, private groups, or sneak peeks of your upcoming products.
  • Listen to customer feedback and shape your next steps around what your audience needs most.

3. Embrace what makes you different

MrBeast skyrocketed to success by doing what no one else was doing, whether it’s giving away millions, eating the world’s largest slice of pizza, or being buried alive for 7 days. Instead of blending in, he leans into his uniqueness and thrives on standing out.

mrbeast youtube screenshot pizza eating

To some degree, you’ll need to follow certain strategies and norms. But when you differentiate yourself whenever you have the chance, you might be surprised at how far you can go.

How to apply it:

  • Instead of trying to mimic others in your industry, focus on what sets your brand or service apart.
  • Tell your story authentically. Why did you start your business? What can customers or clients get from you that they can’t get anywhere else?
  • Think of ways to surprise or delight your audience in ways your competitors haven’t thought of.

4. Don’t wait until “the right time”

When MrBeast started his channel, his videos weren’t the polished viral spectacles we see today. But he didn’t wait until everything was perfect to begin. He started where he was (recording and editing all his videos on his phone), learned along the way, and kept improving.

He said this about his early YouTube days: 

“There's a five-year point in my life where I was just relentlessly, unhealthily obsessed with studying virality, studying the YouTube algorithm.”

How to apply it:

  • Stop waiting for the stars to align before launching your idea. You’ll only get better through real-world experience.
  • Set smaller goals to get the ball rolling. Done is better than perfect, especially in the beginning. 
  • Be a voracious learner. Stay curious, open-minded, and eager.

5. Test, track, and iterate

While MrBeast is known for his over-the-top content, there’s a method to his madness. He constantly uses data to track what works and what doesn’t, iterating on his strategy to optimize views and engagement.

He looks at everything down to his YouTube video thumbnails, testing multiple iterations before settling on the top performers.

mrbeast ab testing

How to apply it: 

  • Test different strategies within your business, be it marketing, product offerings, or customer service approaches.
  • Use tools like Google Analytics, email marketing results, and social media analytics to determine what resonates with your audience.
  • Don’t just set it and forget it. Look at the data and adjust your strategy based on the lessons you learn. 

How to find your own Beast-like success with Whop

MrBeast’s rise from a small-town gamer to a globally recognized creator demonstrates the power of creativity, dedication, and strategy. He’s not just making boatloads of money—he’s redefining what’s possible in the creator economy.  

Reading about his incredible success is pretty motivating, isn’t it?

If you’re looking to become a successful digital creator, now is the time to make your move. And Whop is here to help you make those dreams a reality.

Whop is an all-in-one platform designed to help content creators, entrepreneurs, and small business owners launch, grow, and monetize their digital businesses. 

Whether you're looking to create a members-only community, sell digital products like ebooks, or host online courses and webinars, Whop provides the tools to turn your passion into profit.

You can easily set up your whop, a personalized hub for your community, and start earning without upfront costs. Whop handles payment processing, customer support, and marketing, with low fees (as low as 3%), so you can focus on what you do best.

You can even connect with other entrepreneurs in vibrant communities to exchange advice and grow your business. With no need for a PC to get started, Whop makes earning money accessible from anywhere, even on your phone.

Join over 25,000 creators and entrepreneurs already using Whop to build and scale their businesses. Sign up for free today and start building your own empire.