MrBeast’s Biggest Controversies And Scandals, Explained

Without a doubt, you’re familiar with Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, whether through his Amazon Prime series, food brands, or his extensive YouTube career that has made him one of the planet’s top YouTubers. With over 300 million subscribers on YouTube alone, MrBeast is a prominent online creator, and his videos frequently garner more than 100 million views. Fans adore MrBeast for his engaging presentation style, his dedication to producing exceptional videos, and his habit of generously giving away millions of dollars without hesitation.

In the coming days, it’s possible that MrBeast will gain more recognition for hosting TV shows like “Beast Games,” however, at present, he remains widely recognized as YouTube’s most generous philanthropist. In his videos, MrBeast often gifts cars, homes, and life-altering eye surgeries. Across all episodes of “Beast Games,” MrBeast distributed vast sums of money to the contestants. While many admire MrBeast, there are also those who voice criticisms about him and his actions. As with any well-known figure, MrBeast has faced scandals, and his most significant controversies will likely linger in public memory.

His early videos had some problematic content

As a teenager, MrBeast experienced a surge in popularity on YouTube, transforming him into an internet sensation. At that point, he was primarily recognized for performing comical antics such as counting to 100,000 in his bedroom. However, certain individuals began to identify a questionable pattern in his content. MrBeast had a tendency to make jokes that were derogatory towards the LGBTQ+ community and use offensive language in his videos and social media posts. When The Atlantic addressed this matter in 2018 and requested a comment from MrBeast, he responded, “I’m not intentionally offensive towards anyone. I’m not even the slightest bit offensive in anything I do. I plan to disregard it. I don’t believe people care about these kinds of issues.

In the course of his professional journey, elements from his earlier video content have been consistent. However, in 2024, some old videos of MrBeast jokingly discussing selling slaves with his YouTube audience resurfaced. In response, his team issued a statement to Variety clarifying that he has previously apologized for his past indiscretions, emphasizing that as an adult, his focus has shifted towards collaborating with the MrBeast community to create a positive global impact, having learned from his earlier mistakes.

In October 2024, YouTuber Rosanna Pansino disclosed confidential messages from MrBeast’s private business chat, which included crude and downright inappropriate jokes. Although MrBeast typically steers clear of offensive humor and speech, as evidenced by his current content, these revelations have sparked concerns about the cultural environment within his company, due to his past actions and Rosanna Pansino’s leaks.

MrBeast’s employees have said he’s a bad boss

MrBeast’s management style has drawn criticism from ex-employees, who claim he fosters an unpleasant work environment. In 2021, The New York Times interviewed several former employees, who alleged that they were given unattainable deadlines and frequently criticized for their performance. One employee accused MrBeast of not giving him credit for his contributions to various videos, while another made a YouTube video titled “My Experience Editing for Mr. Beast (Worst Week of My Life)” after leaving the company. However, they later removed the video due to a wave of threatening and harassing messages from MrBeast’s followers in response to it.

2024 summer saw a group of former employees of YouTube personality, MrBeast, making troubling claims about their work experiences there. One such employee, Jake Weddle, alleged that he and another colleague were dismissed after inquiring about the pay disparity they faced despite doing the same job. Later, Weddle was asked to participate in a challenge video where his task was to survive 30 days of solitary confinement. He shared a harrowing account of this experience, stating that he was denied proper sleep conditions and ultimately had to abandon the challenge due to deteriorating physical and mental health. In subsequent videos, Weddle detailed his time with MrBeast, and later revealed that MrBeast contacted him to express regret for the incident.

He’s been accused of rigging games

In July 2024, an ex-employee of MrBeast, known as DogPack404, posted a nearly hour-long YouTube video titled “I Worked for MrBeast: He’s a Fraud”. In this video, DogPack made several serious allegations against MrBeast and his company. One of the most striking claims was that MrBeast manipulated some of the games and competitions he hosted on his channel. DogPack suggested that some of MrBeast’s giveaways might have violated lottery laws because the rules weren’t always transparent, winners weren’t always selected randomly, and certain giveaways were aimed at underage viewers. “MrBeast isn’t just encouraging gambling among children here,” Dogpack stated, “He’s running an illegal casino.

The assertions made by DogPack were widely shared and drew reactions from numerous online influencers. Chucky Appleby, an active member of Team MrBeast, vehemently denied the allegations that MrBeast fabricates any of his giveaways. On X, he stated, “Jimmy (MrBeast) invests mind-boggling amounts of money and effort to uphold the authenticity of his actions, and it’s disheartening to see such claims being made with falsehoods.

In response to DogPack’s video, MrBeast remained silent, yet several other YouTubers offered their thoughts. LegalEagle pointed out that lottery and sweepstakes regulations differ from state to state, making adherence intricate. However, he also observed that MrBeast’s recent giveaways appeared to be more organized than his initial ventures. Meanwhile, Rosanna Pansino has persistently questioned MrBeast’s company practices, releasing numerous videos for investigation.

He’s had a rough go with food brands

Beyond his YouTube ventures, MrBeast is branching out and exploring fresh business opportunities. Particularly, he’s been striving to make inroads within the food sector, yet he’s consistently encountered unexpected hurdles along the way.

As a hardcore gamer in late 2020, I jumped at the chance to try out MrBeast’s BeastBurgers. Instead of traditional restaurants, he opted for a unique approach with “ghost kitchens” scattered across cities. The idea was intriguing, but execution left much to be desired.

I found myself frequently receiving overcooked or raw burgers, which was far from the gaming experience I expected. The inconsistency was so severe that it became a major issue, and many fellow gamers shared similar disappointments. The brand seemed like a chaotic game level, with MrBeast himself eventually suing his business partners to level up.

2023 saw a few criticisms from MrBeast’s fans towards Feastables, his chocolate bar brand, mainly due to a request he made on X for fans to tidy up the displays in their local grocery stores. However, a larger wave of discontent arose in 2024 when MrBeast collaborated with Logan Paul and KSI to launch Lunchly, another brand under his name. This venture sold meals similar to Lunchables and came packaged with a bottle of Prime, Paul’s beverage line. Unfortunately, some consumers discovered an unexpected component – mold in their purchased Lunchly meals. Concerned customers started sharing their experiences online, and popular content creators like Rosanna Pansino on YouTube and @aSpicyCow on Twitch uploaded videos of spoiled Lunchly meals.

His best friend and business partner faced serious accusations

In the course of his career, a significant point of debate arose concerning MrBeast’s close friend and long-term business partner, Ava Tyson. Since the beginning of his YouTube journey, MrBeast had collaborated with Tyson, and their friendship was a favorite among fans due to the lively atmosphere it added to MrBeast’s videos. However, when troubling accusations against Tyson emerged during the summer of 2024, it became particularly challenging for fans to process this unexpected turn of events.

On June 13, 2024, YouTuber Prism32 posted a video with screenshots of what were claimed to be messages between Tyson and a minor. The content of the messages wasn’t sexually explicit but discussed topics such as hentai, sending nudes, and inappropriate humor. This raised concerns about why such discussions were taking place in a Discord server with underage users, leading some to accuse Tyson of grooming the young fan. In response, the minor themselves posted on X, denying being a victim and stating, “Ava didn’t do anything wrong and just made a few edgy jokes.

On July 23rd, Tyson announced her decision to leave MrBeast’s organization, expressing regret for any past actions or words that might have caused pain or discomfort to others, assuring it was unintentional. MrBeast subsequently shared a post acknowledging the allegations and initiating an internal probe by a dedicated team. In November 2024, MrBeast revealed the findings of this investigation, concluding that accusations of sexual misconduct involving company employees and minors were baseless. However, Tyson chose not to resume her role at MrBeast’s company following these results.

The Beast Games production was anything but smooth

Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, has constructed his professional journey around executing grand video projects and doling out enormous sums of money. However, despite his extensive background, MrBeast found that the magnitude of his “Beast Games” show, which aired on Amazon’s Prime Video, was still unprecedented. This series was one of the most demanding reality shows ever made, and, much like other endeavors by MrBeast, “Beast Games” concealed its share of questionable aspects.

As a devoted fan, I’ve got to share my disappointment about the early phases of this show. The chaos started in the glitzy city of Las Vegas, where an overwhelming 2,000 hopefuls gathered for the initial filming rounds. The aim was to whittle down this massive crowd to just 1,000, who would then battle it out in the main competition, filmed in Toronto. However, things took a turn for the worse in Vegas. Reports from insiders revealed a production that was shockingly disorganized, leaving several contestants without essentials like food, water, personal hygiene items, and even their own medication during filming. To add to this, many of the competitions were grueling physical challenges, resulting in several contestants needing hospitalization. It’s truly unfortunate that such issues marred the beginning of what could have been an exciting journey for all involved.

The show’s filming in Vancouver tackled those concerns, however, it encountered several issues off-camera. MrBeast was accused of trying to cut costs by not working with unions, as alleged by YouTuber Rosanna Pansino who claimed she communicated with the “Beast Game” team and was told that “MrBeast and his team explicitly requested that ‘Beast Games’ be non-union.” Some crew members also expressed concerns about the work environment, the long hours they were expected to put in, and delays in receiving their wages from the production. MrBeast has generally dismissed these issues, stating in an interview that “I believe a lot of it has been exaggerated.

2025-04-18 21:31