# Have heard of MrBeast - if so, how much **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 7, 2026, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900 "2026-05-07T23:20:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900/1 "2026-05-07T23:20:46Z")
On a recent episode of Survivor, a surprise guest was featured - MrBeast. Everyone OOO;d and AHHd but I’d never heard of him. Over in the Survivor 50 thread, it was mentioned. Some having heard of him some have not. > [@Survivor 50 - All Stars](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-50-all-stars/1027920/170): > > I’d definitely heard of Mr. Beast, and knew what his claim to fame was, but I’d never actually seen him before > [@Survivor 50 - All Stars](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-50-all-stars/1027920/165): > > Like you, I’m a youtube watcher who has never seen any of his videos, > [@Survivor 50 - All Stars](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-50-all-stars/1027920/169): > > if you polled a random middle or high school I would imagine that Mr Beast and Taylor Swift are probably the two closest to 100% name recognition. > [@Survivor 50 - All Stars](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-50-all-stars/1027920/168): > > I’m 47 and can confirm, Jimmy Donaldson(Mr. Beast) is probably in the top 200 most famous people in America right now. Someone even compared him to the Beatles. So, my fellow Dopers, have you heard of him? If so, do you know what he does? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900/2 "2026-05-07T23:27:06Z")
Heard of him. Barely know anything about him. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900/3 "2026-05-07T23:33:32Z")
The full extent of my knowledge of him is that he’s a sleazeball who owns a production company, he explicitly runs his production company to be likewise as sleazy as possible, and he’s now getting sued because of it. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900/4 "2026-05-07T23:45:56Z")
His YouTube videos have been suggested to me when I’m watching something else. I’ve never seen any but they seem to be quite elaborate. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900/5 "2026-05-07T23:54:56Z")
I’ve heard he uses his money to entice people to do humiliating things—that he dangles large sums of money in front of participants to get them to perform various tasks and compete in challenges—in the same category of incentives behind so-called [bumfights](https://www.natcom.org/publications-library/bum-fights-dehumanizing-homeless-profit/) and the fictional [_Squid Game_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squid_Game). ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900/6 "2026-05-07T23:57:36Z")
Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900/7 "2026-05-08T00:02:39Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Heard of him. > Barely know anything about him. Yep. 😐 ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900/8 "2026-05-08T00:08:05Z")
AIUI, he is late-stage capitalism: the game show. Or something like that. Big Joel has done a couple (long) videos about him, and that is about the extent of my knowledge: [Video 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaiMNBpN9Yw) [Video 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEvDZn95E3s) Anyway, I’m waiting for the inevitable _Behind the Bastards_ podcast episode(s) to learn more. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900/9 "2026-05-08T00:30:24Z")
I first heard of him right here ~2 weeks ago: > [@Omnibus Evil MFers in the news thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-evil-mfers-in-the-news-thread/983496/4271): > > MrBeast, come on down! As reported by the Los Angeles Times, in a lawsuit filed on April 22 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, former employee Lorrayne Mavromatis alleged she was subjected to sexual harassment and was then demoted when she complained. She also claims she was forced to join a conference call while giving birth and was expected to work during her maternity leave… In the lawsuit, Mavromatis claims the company’s previous CEO, James Warren, wo… Does not sound like anyone I want to give so much as a click to. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900/10 "2026-05-08T00:46:01Z")
He’s a guy who makes videos on the Internet, usually involving game shows and giving away money, often based on good causes. He has managed to become rather wealthy doing so, despite spending a ton of money on everything. He did a crossover with Survivor in his latest season of “The Beast Games.” The remaining contestants of his show went to the Survivor Island for a day of games. The Survivor people handled the logistics and filming and editing for that episode, and you can very much tell the difference in quality. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900/11 "2026-05-08T00:48:57Z")
I only heard of him, and that he’s some YouTuber, because today is his birthday. The DJs on the station I typically listen to while working like to read off celebrities’ birthdays when they’re doing that day’s listener birthday list. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900/12 "2026-05-08T00:52:39Z")
Same. Not interested ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900/13 "2026-05-08T00:53:32Z")
I wasn’t aware that he was controversial. I only know about his historical US presidential election videos. Correction: The individual I know about is actually Mr. Beat… ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900/14 "2026-05-08T00:55:51Z")
I’ve heard the name and that he had something to do with YouTube videos, but basically nothing else since the people who bring him up seem to assume everyone knows about him and I was never curious enough to go looking for information about him myself. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900/15 "2026-05-08T00:58:15Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I first heard of him right here ~2 weeks ago: Never heard of him before, Don’t want to hear of him ever again, unless he gets sued into bankruptcy or goes to jail. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900/16 "2026-05-08T01:02:33Z")
Heard of him, know he’s a youtuber/gameshow ringmaster-type guy. That’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900/17 "2026-05-08T01:03:49Z")
I recently watched a video about him in general, and it has a follow-up video that covers the specifics season. For some reason, they invited random YouTubers to do a tour and watch the latest season, paying their way, and a critical YouTuber couldn’t pass up the chance to get an inside look. The gist is that they just aren’t remotely as competent as even reality show producers, seemingly do not do good beta testing of ideas, come up with ideas solely based on thumbnails and headlines, yet want to be some big huge company. They have to see things fail before they think of things. The games were mostly broken by cooperation. Jimmy just seemed to assume people would betray each other without any real motivation to do so. The theme was brain vs brawn, but the most taxing thing for the brain side was memorizing a group of four colors. No trivia, no puzzles, nothing. That barely even scratches the surface of the critical YouTube video, which is very well done and thought provoking. He did an excellent video on NFTs that was illuminating on how it all happened, and is basically considered the definitive documentary. Here’s the MrBeast video: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/0dwagg5wYY4/maxresdefault.jpg "Why was I invited to Beast Studios?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dwagg5wYY4) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900/18 "2026-05-08T01:06:42Z")
Though I watch a lot of YouTubers, including reasonably high profile ones, every so often a name will be dropped in a way that it seems I’m supposed to already know who they are but I don’t. Mr Beast was one of those around three or four years back. Then I learned what his deal was and was happy to continue avoiding him. He’s just gotten bigger, making him harder to ignore, but I remain steadfast. This also happened with Pewdiepie, JackSepticEye, and Markiplier. I only vaguely know who they are, or used to be. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900/19 "2026-05-08T01:10:21Z")
I’m unreasonably proud that I’ve never heard of those 3 names. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900/20 "2026-05-08T01:17:27Z")
I know a little about him through my kids and news blurbs. Seemed like something of a con man. Mostly his giving money away in annoying ways, but the end goal was supposed to be worthwhile. He tried to start a restaurant delivery chain - maybe burgers? - based on using ghost kitchens in various cities, and it fell apart fast. I recently saw his name on some food products at the store. Can’t remember what it was. Maybe some jarred sauce or condiment? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-heard-of-mrbeast-if-so-how-much/1029900.md?page=2)