Having dominated YouTube and then taken Amazon in his stride, there are few as big in the content creator community than Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson. Having left his Minecraft Let’s Plays behind years ago, Donaldson has grown his brand to be much more than a YouTube channel, boasting food ventures, hit TV series, and charitable organizations.
While many would love to know how much the most-subscribed man on YouTube earns, MrBeast has been careful not to reveal his fortune. There are multiple reports that Donaldson is a billionaire, while the man himself recently claimed he has less than $1 million in the bank. There have been supposed leaks of him earning $4 million a month in ad revenue alone, and he’s also opened up about the shocking amount he earns from his side channels. We’ll likely never know what Donaldson is really worth, especially as he claims his money goes back into expanding his MrBeast empire.
Still, he’s taken issue with a recent Forbes report that named him as the highest-earning content creator of 2025. Even though the outlet claims he’s pulled in $85 million, MrBeast says the math just ain’t mathing.
Donaldson claims that Forbes’ financials are off (YouTube / MrBeast)
Taking to X, he said: “99.9% sure they just make up numbers. That’s just not even remotely accurate lol.”
Responding to Donaldson’s retort, it’s clear many thought he’s actually earned far more than this.
One person said: “Now the real question is… are they over or under 😭✌️.”
Another joked: “It’s WAY more right goat? 😂 btw you should send me like 0.01% of that money.”
A third concluded: “Wait. Are you saying you’re more than that or below that? Talk the truth bro.”
Discussing the supposedly booming bank balances of content creators, Eric Sheridan, Goldman Sachs’ co-head of Technology research, said: “The private funding environment for creators is as strong as I’ve ever seen.
“You’re seeing a lot of investments directly into creator brands, into creator companies, and into the private companies that enable creators with tools to build their businesses.”
99.9% sure they just make up numbers. That’s just not even remotely accurate lol
Even if Donaldson disagrees with Forbes’ numbers, it’s claimed that the top 50 creators across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube took in an estimated $853 million. This is an 18% jump from 2024’s already record-breaking year. Forbes noted that this doesn’t include the millions nabbed from equity deals as the biggest names partner with other brands. Looking further ahead, Ryan Detert, the founder and CEO of creator marketing firm Influential, foreshadowed: “Next year, it’s expected that influencer marketing will expand to $50 billion. The dollars are going into the hands of creators who are now the new media channels.”
The top 50 also boast a jaw-dropping 3.4 billion followers, which is up 24% from 2024. Goldman Sachs predicts that there are some 67 million creators around the world, with this expected to balloon to 107 million by 2030.
While we’re sure there are many trying to be the ‘next’ MrBeast, his brand looks pretty untouchable for now. Donaldson might not agree with Forbes’ figures, but we imagine he’s pulled in a pretty penny in the last year.
Featured Image Credit: YouTube / MrBeast
Forbes reveals MrBeast’s earnings as he tops the list of 2025’s highest earning creators
This comes days after the YouTuber admitted he’s borrowing money
MrBeast dominates Forbes’ highest-earning content creator list of 2025.
The winners are in for 2025’s highest-earning content creators, and their success really shows how much the digital world has advanced from the early days of 2008 YouTube.
How big is the creator economy?
Content creators across platforms like Amazon, Instagram, TikTok, and Spotify are proving there’s a massive field of career opportunities that simply didn’t exist 20 years ago.
YouTube reported that billions of hours of its video content is watched on TV screens every single day, while the Golden Globes created a new podcast category to recognise the medium’s influence.
This year, Forbes’ list of the 50 richest creators across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube earned an estimated $853 million – that’s an 18% jump from 2024’s already record-breaking year.
Jimmy ‘MrBeast’ Donaldson claimed Forbes’ top creator spot for 2025 (Eric Charbonneau/Contributor/Getty)
Who claimed the top spot on 2025’s highest-earning creators?
Despite recently announcing that he had to borrow money from his mom to pay for his upcoming wedding, Jimmy ‘MrBeast‘ Donaldson claimed Forbes’ top creator spot for 2025.
From founding his Feastables chocolate company and Lunchly lunch packs to hosting his own record-breaking game show on Amazon and starring in a Netflix series, MrBeast has become an entertainment mogul and household name.
Topping the likes of Dhar Mann and Jake Paul, Donaldson brought in total earnings of $85 million and a whopping 634 million followers across multiple platforms.
How did MrBeast build his fortune?
In June 2024, Donaldson officially joined the billionaire club. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he’s now one of just 16 billionaires under the age of 30 – and the only one under 30 to have not inherited any of his wealth.
Moreover, MrBeast’s self-made journey to the top started from humble beginnings. He began as just another Minecraft streamer before transforming his content into the wild challenge videos that we’re all familiar with, like ‘Surviving The 5 Deadliest Places On Earth’ and his viral real-life recreation of Squid Game.
According to Forbes, Donaldson brought in total earnings of $85 million (Kevin Mazur/Contributor/Getty)
He then shifted to creating comparison content that became hugely popular, showcasing everything from beat-up $1 cars to luxury vehicles worth $100 million.
As his audience grew, so did his business opportunities. Over time, he brought in more success from brand partnerships, launched his own consumer products, and made the leap into mainstream entertainment.
Safe to say, his hit show Beast Games was nothing short of an explosion to his fame.
Despite controversy surrounding the show’s treatment of contestants and questions about the show winner’s success, Beast Games became the most-watched unscripted series on Amazon Prime Video, drawing over 50 million viewers in its first 25 days.
The reality show has been renewed for two seasons on Amazon Prime and is already issuing casting calls for contestants.
What role will AI play in creator content?
As AI tools flood the market, creator content is projected to increase dramatically in both scale and quality.
Goldman Sachs estimates that there are now 67 million creators worldwide and expects this number to increase to around 107 million by 2030.
“AI tools can tell me who my audience is, tell me how to create content faster, and lower the barrier to content creation in a way that could speed up my time to market,” says Goldman’s Sheridan. “That’s a big relief for the creator economy.”
Featured Image Credit: Roy Rochlin / Stringer via Getty
MrBeast estimated to have earned $85,000,000 in 2024 as Forbes name him creator of the year
The most subscribed to YouTuber has certainly earned himself a significant fortune
While MrBeast is known for giving out hundreds of thousands of dollars in video-based prizes, the YouTube megastar has reportedly earned over $85,000,000 for his output in 2024 alone, and sits at the top of Forbes creators list for the last year.
It’s undeniable that Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson is among the biggest names in the online world, if not claiming the top spot himself, as he not only has the most subscribed to YouTube channel on the platform, but has garnered 503 million followers across all social media – the most of any creator.
2024 has been a year of controversy for Donaldson, as he’s had to contend with accusations of crypto scams, slave labor, and faked videos, but that certainly hasn’t slowed the hype train down for many.
MrBeast has garnered major success in 2024 despite numerous controversies (Rich Storry/Getty Images)
He is just about to host his very own Amazon-backed game show titled ‘Beast Games’ – which is also not without its own controversies – but the cash prize of $5,000,000 and reports of a purpose-built town for the show costing $14,000,000 might have you doubt MrBeast’s financial viability.
Forbes, through their ‘Top Creators 2024’ list, have quashed those worries though, reporting that Donaldson’s earnings for the year of 2024 have reached a staggering $85,000,000 – over $35 million more than the next highest on a list that includes other huge names like Jake Paul, Charli D’Amelio, and Matt Rife.
It’s then easy to understand how MrBeast is able to finance his wild video ideas, which only recently include beating Cristiano Ronaldo to win $1,000,000 and surviving in the wilderness for $500,000.
Of course, like any keen entrepreneur, MrBeast has spread his net far wider than the realms of content creation, and has led popular food brands Lunchly and Feastables with great success.
Feastables is one of MrBeast’s numerous business ventures outside of social media and content creation (Don Arnold/WireImage via Getty Images)
His reported average engagement rate of 2.38% might seem low, but when you consider how many followers MrBeast has across all the different platforms you have a seriously high viewer base to work with.
Donaldson seemingly isn’t content within the confines of content creation though, as he has recently announced his genuine plans to run for President of the United States once he reaches a certain age.
He has said that this won’t be until he’s ’50 or 60′ to allow him to accomplish all he wants in business, but that could perhaps be the future pathway for someone who is currently undeniably the most powerful individual in online content creation.
Featured Image Credit: MrBeast/X
MrBeast called out by viewers after he announces shocking next challenge that pushes the extremes
Fans think he’s taking his content too far
MrBeast is nowhere near slowing down as he continues to push the boundaries of content creation – and why would he?
His massive viewership and ad revenue bring him a fortune, which he reinvests to make even crazier videos – but some fans believe his ideas are too over-the-top just for the sake of engagement.
On X, Jimmy ‘MrBeast‘ Donaldson recently posted his latest projects about people living in obscure places in exchange for a life-changing cash prize.
The world’s most popular YouTuber wrote: “I have a pilot living in a $2,500,000 private jet and if he doesn’t leave for 100 days he keeps it, a cop/criminal in a jail and if they don’t leave for 100 days they win $500,000, and someone living in a gym until he loses 100 pounds for $500,000. Can’t wait to upload these”.
However, some people called MrBeast out on X for ‘exploiting’ people for entertainment purposes.
I have a pilot living in a $2,500,000 private jet and if he doesn’t leave for 100 days he keeps it, a cop/criminal in a jail and if they don’t leave for 100 days they win $500,000, and someone living in a gym until he loses 100 pounds for $500,000. Can’t wait to upload these 🥰
“Locking people in extreme challenges for views feels more like exploitation than entertainment, no matter the payout,” one person replied.
“Sounds like prison not entertainment. Mr. Beast you promote Evil and greed,” another compared.
“You are filming Hunger Games irl. This is a bit insane,” someone else argued.
Other fans defended the philanthropist’s ideas and saw the positives of being paid to change your life for the better: “gettin paid to better your life is insane,” someone wrote adding: “bro gets to have a dream body and money? count me in”.
Another comment read: “The gym one is the most exciting. He improves his health and gets life changing money to build a new one!”
Similar backlash surfaced on the back of producing Beast Games, MrBeast’s very own show which almost instantly became Amazon’s most-watched reality TV show.
Some contestants of the show filed a class-action lawsuit against the internet personality, mentioning ‘chronic mistreatment’ and sexual harassment claims.
MrBeast has always gone above and beyond in his videos. Kevin Mazur / Contributor / Getty
Not to mention, there was recent outrage over the winner of Beast Games receiving a significantly reduced portion of the promised $1,000,000 grand prize due to taxes.
Nevertheless, with MrBeast is already calling on contestants for Season 2.
Elsewhere, the owner of Feastables and Lunchly seems to have it all to his viewers, but he’s also admitted that, despite the seemingly glamourous lifestyle, his life would be ‘miserable’ to the average person.
In 2024, Donaldson topped Forbes’ creator rankings with earnings of $85,000,000, but in an interview with Steven Bartlett on The Diary of a CEO, he’s explained how he is always either working or travelling for work, which can sometimes push him to the brink.
On some forums like Reddit, people are wondering how long he can keep it up before burning out.
But for now, his content is only getting bigger and more crazy.
Featured Image Credit: Chris Unger / Contributor / Getty
Man calls out Elon Musk after billionaire shared his photos without credit ‘claiming they were made by Grok’
And says his account was suspended when he complained.
A photographer has publicly called out Elon Musk after discovering the billionaire had shared a series of his original photos on X (formerly Twitter), without credit, while appearing to imply they had been generated by his AI tool, Grok.
In a video that has since gained traction on Reddit, the specialist instrument photographer, Charles Brooks, expressed his frustration after Musk reposted images of musical instruments that were, in fact, real photographs taken by him, but were presented under the banner “Generate images with Grok AI”.
He explained: “So last weekend Elon Musk shared a bunch of my photos on X/Twitter and while that might seem really cool he did so with a title saying ‘Generate images with @Grok AI’ and that I find a little bit frustrating because as hopefully most of you know all of these instrument photos that I take are of real instruments they’re not AI generated at all”.
According to the photographer, the confusion began when a user named Eric Jiang took his original work, altered the images by inserting miniature human figures using Grok, and posted them online.
Musk then shared these modified versions, but without any mention of the original creator.
Brooks explained further: “What seems to have happened is there’s a guy called Eric Jiang he lifted my photos from somewhere and used Grok AI to put little people in them, and that’s what Elon then went and shared, and then of course both of those guys shared them without credit,”.
“Elon didn’t mention my name at all, and Eric did put my name in but only as a comment, not in the actual post itself, which I find a little bit disingenuous.”
The photographer clarified that he’s not opposed to people sharing his work or even modifying it, provided it’s not for commercial purposes and proper credit is given.
“If you’re going to do that, please, you know, credit me, put my name in there, drop a link to the website, you know it’s a really simple kind of copy and paste.”
After getting noticed on its original thread and being shared to another, the incident has sparked heated debate about responsibility and attribution, especially given Elon Musk’s vast reach. Brooks even added his X account was reportedly suspended when he complained, though it was reinstated after the matter started gaining attention, also saying that “reporters [are now] on the phone”.
Generate images with @Grok
people inside of instruments
While some users argued that the onus lies solely with the person who initially reposted the photos without credit, others believe Musk holds responsibility for amplifying content with misleading framing.
One Redditor wrote: “I do expect him to do that”, responding to another’s implied claim that you shouldn’t expect Elon Musk “to do a reverse image search on everything he replies to on Twitter”.
The responding commenter added: “When you signal boost at that degree, you have a greater responsibility. He basically has the reach of a news outlet.”
In response to one critic saying Elon’s caption wasn’t misleading, another user explained:
“No, Elon Musk clearly slapped his ‘Generate images with Grok now!’ implying it’s made with Grok’.
Imagine if we’re on a street, there’s a cool cat, and I pet the cool cat. I then say, ‘I love my cat, he always loves pets’. You’d immediately make the connection that this cool cat is my cat. Or it would be the same if I took a photo leaning on a super expensive car, saying I got a new car.
It’s simply dishonest and misguides users, worse, it’s done with this exact purpose”.
Brooks, for his part, ended on a balanced note, saying: “I’m not anti-AI at all… I don’t use it to generate images, but I have no problem with people that do… I think there’s still a place for us photographers to document real things.”
With Brooks being based in Australia, we might not quickly see big updates on this in the short term, due to the time difference. Nevertheless, we’ll be sure to have it covered if Elon himself responds.
