James Stephen Donaldson

MrBeast, whose real name is James Donaldson, is an American YouTuber, entrepreneur, and philanthropist from Greenville, North Carolina. He is known internationally for his elaborate challenges, large-scale giveaways, and ambitious video productions. In June 2026, he became the first individual YouTube creator to reach 500 million subscribers.

Donaldson began making YouTube videos at age 13, initially focusing on gaming and commentary. His breakthrough came in 2017 with a viral video in which he counted to 100,000. He went on to build a business empire through Beast Industries, launching ventures such as the chocolate brand Feastables and the creator analytics platform Viewstats. He also hosts and executive-produces "Beast Games", a reality competition series on Amazon Prime Video.

Beyond entertainment, MrBeast is also known for his philanthropy. He founded "Beast Philanthropy", an organization that channels revenue from its YouTube channel into charitable initiatives. He has also partnered with fellow creator Mark Rober on environmental campaigns - #TeamTrees, #TeamSeas, and #TeamWater - raising funds for tree planting, ocean cleanup, and access to clean water.

Although poker is not his primary profession, MrBeast has appeared in several high-profile celebrity poker games, including Poker After Dark and the May 2022 "Hustler Casino Live Creator Game", where he shared the table with Ludwig, Ninja, xQc, Phil Hellmuth, and Tom Dwan. These appearances helped bring live-streamed poker to audiences beyond the traditional poker community.