James Stephen Donaldson was born the youngest of two siblings into a middle-class family in North Carolina, USA. The family moved around a lot, and he and his brother, CJ, were often looked after by au pairs due to his parents serving long hours as part of their military careers. His parents divorced when he was about 10, and he then lived with his mother.

From an early age, he loved to create videos of playing games such as Minecraft and Call of Duty. He also played baseball as an outfielder for a few years. By the age of 13, and using the name ‘MrBeast6000’, his passion for video making saw him upload his very first YouTube video.

Jimmy worked enthusiastically with friends to figure out how to become a successful YouTuber and go viral. Over the years, his online popularity grew, and he became a full-time YouTube content creator. He currently has over 378 million subscribers! As his channel continued to grow, Jimmy enlisted four friends to become part of the team, now known as The Beast Gang or Team Beast.

Over the years, several breakthrough videos featuring stunts, giveaways and challenges of all things imaginable went viral. Now known as MrBeast, through his crazy videos, Jimmy has given away millions and also earned himself the title ‘YouTube’s biggest philanthropist’. In 2022 alone, he gave away $3.22 million (on top of a jet and private island)… and he is still going strong.

There is no doubt that MrBeast has had a significant impact on the world. Through his enthusiasm for creative content and his contagious optimism, he has shown that YouTube can be used for good and has raised millions for charitable causes in a sustainable and persistent way – such as The Ocean Cleanup. His influential work has also inspired others to be kind and generous.

Harnessing the power of social media, MrBeast continues to demonstrate kindness inspiring his now mass following. Through his optimism in educating his audience to make the world a better place, he is literally making kindness go viral.