Inside the scandal facing YouTube’s mogul

500 million fans, a personal fortune worth millions, and a global business empire.

It’ll take some serious effort to unseat Jimmy Donaldson, aka Mr. Beast, as YouTube’s biggest influencer.

But the 54-page court document may be his toughest test yet.

Five female contestants from the upcoming Prime Video show “Beast Games” filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles against MrB’s production company, MrB2024, and Amazon.

Billed as the biggest reality TV competition series ever, 1,000 contestants are set to compete for a $5 million (£3.7 million) prize when or if the show airs. The lawsuit has thrown the show into crisis.

Among many redacted pages, the legal documents contain allegations that the women “particularly and collectively suffered” in an environment that “systematically fostered a culture of misogyny and sexism.”

This goes to the heart of MrBeast’s image as one of the nicest guys on the internet.

I had a quick look at the document, which also noted that participants were “undernourished and overly fatigued” and that meals were provided “sporadically and sparsely,” which it claims “endangered the health and well-being of participants.”

One passage, almost all of the allegations have been redacted from public view, said the defendants “created, permitted the existence of and promoted a culture, pattern and practice of sexual harassment, including in the form of a hostile work environment.”

In August, The New York Times reported that it had interviewed more than 10 (as yet undisclosed) cast members from the show, who told the paper that “several people were hospitalized” on set, with one person not eating for more than 20 hours.

Participants also alleged that they did not receive their medication on time.

The BBC has approached Mr Beast and Amazon, but Mr Beast is yet to comment publicly.

So will these latest allegations damage YouTube’s popularity?

MrBeast has been embroiled in controversy again this year, and each time he has emerged unscathed.

In July, the 26-year-old American said he had hired investigators after former presenter Ava Chris Tyson was accused of seducing a teenage girl.

Ava denied the allegations but apologised for her “unacceptable past behaviour”.

MrBeast said he was “disgusted” by the “serious allegations”.

Further allegations about business practices have since emerged in an anonymous YouTube channel claiming to be a former employee, although the BBC has not been able to independently verify the claims or the person’s identity.

Some of his charitable efforts, such as digging wells in Africa and paying for surgeries for people with sight and hearing loss, have drawn criticism for being exploitative.

“Deaf people like me deserve better than Mr Beast’s latest inspirational porn,” one person told The Independent last year.

But his empire keeps growing: On Wednesday, the day before the lawsuit was revealed, he revealed that he’d teamed up with fellow celebrities KSI and Logan Paul to come up with a new food line to rival Lunch Bulls.

And as I wrote about his meteoric rise last year, he’s earned his millions through hard work.

His videos are big-budget, with his most popular being a real-life re-enactment of the Netflix hit “Squid Game” with a $456,000 (£342,000) prize pool (viewed 652 million times).

Most of his charitable efforts have been relatively uncontroversial — donating houses, cash, and cars — which has helped him to carve out an image as one of the good guys on the internet.

According to his website, he has delivered over 25 million meals to people in need around the world.

People continue to flock to his social channels: in June, his YouTube channel became the most-subscribed channel in the world.

According to statistics site Socialblade, MrBeast gained 5 million subscribers in the past 30 days alone.

This is just one metric: it doesn’t tell us, for example, how many people unsubscribed from his channel.

What’s certain is that the number of people who have actively decided to stop watching his videos outnumber the people who have decided to subscribe to his channel.

He’s not the only YouTuber who has remained popular amid controversy: Others have faced much bigger storms than MrBeast, but few have faced any major repercussions beyond a public apology.

Logan Paul faced major backlash in 2018 after he uploaded a video to his 15 million subscribers that showed the body of a person who appeared to have committed suicide.

After deleting the original video, he posted a less than two-minute apology video simply titled, “I’m truly sorry.”

He now has 23 million subscribers, owns a hugely popular sports drink, was WWE United States champion until August, and has competed in a number of pay-per-view boxing matches.

Other famous YouTubers, including PewDiePie, James Charles, and Jeffree Star, have also faced their own controversies but have since resumed their careers after uploading apology videos.

In a more recent example, Herschel “Guy” Beam, known online as Dr. Disrespect, admitted to messaging “individuals who are minors” in 2017.

He stressed that “nothing illegal was done, no photos were shared and no crime was committed,” and the statement remained online for two months after it was posted.

His comeback livestream earlier this month garnered more than 3 million views, despite criticism from other prominent streamers.

According to Streams Charts, Dr Disrespect remains the second most-watched streamer in the US this year.

The point is, YouTubers tend to be forgiven quickly.

MrBeast’s fanbase continues to grow, but controversy has once again simmered, and his next move may determine his long-term success.

James Lunn, chief strategy officer at Savvy Marketing, said the star is in a “very unique position” with a “multi-faceted” brand that spans many industries.

“We are in truly uncharted territory,” he said. “A proactive approach that transparently addresses the issues and ensures accountability will protect his brand.”

Brand expert Catherine Shuttleworth said MrBeast’s “high profile” might act as a buffer against backlash, but the lawsuit could be difficult to defend.

“When it comes to his business ventures, especially those targeted at families and children like Feasibles chocolate bars and Ranchly, it’s a different story,” she said.

“Parents, who often have purchasing power, tend to have a lower tolerance for controversies involving safety, fairness and ethics.”

When I wrote about MrBeast in August 2023, I predicted that he would soon claim the YouTube throne, despite having half the subscribers at the time.

He has faced more challenges as his fame has grown, and many online are eagerly awaiting his response, which for now is just one side of a complicated story.