1,000 participants. 5 million dollars on the line. One 54-page lawsuit.
Jimmy Donaldson, known as YouTube star Mr. Beast, has worked hard to achieve the status of the most-subscribed channel on the app at 343 million subscribers, at the time this article was published. His channel usually features elaborate, witty and action-packed content revolving around challenges and giveaways. However, he has recently been shrouded in controversy from accusations of workplace misconduct and unfair conditions for contestants. In fact, Green Hope Economics teacher, Mr. McDaniel Wynne, who participated in his “I Opened The World’s First Free Store” video, shared with the GH Falcon his unsatisfactory experience working with the channel.
From his start as a college dropout recording videos in his mom’s basement to releasing his new BeastGames show with a $100 million budget, Donaldson has often been praised as a master entrepreneur. He has re-enacted the popular franchise ‘Squid Games,’ hid from FBI agents and Navy Seals, spent seven days buried alive and built Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. His philanthropic actions include giving away $30 million in free food, helping 1,000 deaf people hear for the first time and building wells in Africa.
Though he has become an internet sensation for his random acts of kindness and large-scale competitions, many question the legitimacy behind his business model. Because Donaldson is from Greenville, North Carolina, many of his videos are filmed there. According to Mr. Wynne, he and his friends heard about the 2019, “I Opened The World’s First Free Store” challenge in the area and were determined to wait in line all night outside the superstore to secure Nintendo Switches.
“We were eight in line and stood out there and waited all night. By the time it was like 7 a.m., there’s probably a hundred people out there that have also waited in line all night.” He described how despite waiting hours for a chance to appear in the video, Donaldson had already pre-selected video participants. “And then next thing you know, Mr. Beast comes out there with his little buses full of friends and family, and they just get to go right in front of us.”
Wynne lamented over the more than 200 people who got to walk right in front of him, claiming that, “Mr. Beast is a scam.” However, he did mention enjoying his time with YouTuber Jake the Viking, who was still on the Mr Beast team at this time. “I have no issues with Jake the Viking. He hung out with us all night and gave us bracelets and stuff. But then, yeah, I was very upset. By the time I got in there, the switches were gone and nothing was left. I ended up getting like a $5 Bluetooth speaker, so I feel like I wasted my time.” According to Wynne, Donaldson and his assistants Chandler and Chris continuously shut down the crowd’s complaints, telling them they had no reason to complain when they were getting free merchandise.
Mr. Wynne is not the only one who has a bone to pick with Donaldson. He has been at the center of controversy many times due to various videos and comments he has made. Many thought that his recreation of the dystopian thriller, ‘Squid Games’ was wildly insensitive as it missed the point of the show’s economic themes. He has also been flamed for his previous use of slurs, making insensitive and inappropriate comments and allegedly overworking employees. People were also riled up when they received his Lunchly snack products in collaboration with fellow YouTube creators KSI and Logan Paul, and found mold inside. Though he has recently attempted to delete old comments and has been noticeably more brand-safe, his past reputation is still difficult to shed.
In a recent partnership with Amazon his show, BeastGames, has garnered significant attention, both negative and positive. It has both the largest cast and the largest cash prize in the history of game shows. Many looked forward to its innovative challenges and massive-scale production. However, before it even hit streaming platforms, it faced a lawsuit from five female contestants. They accused him of failing to pay minimum wage or overtime, not providing medication or breaks for lunch and rest, false advertisement, deceptive business practices, workplace misconduct and failure to prevent harassment. With $5 million on the line, tensions were running high, and many contestants reported a significant physical and emotional toll that was magnified by inattentiveness from staff. Due to these conditions, several contestants reportedly ended up hospitalized.
The lawsuit included the Mr. Beast Handbook, which stated, “People like when we are in our natural element of stupidity. Really do everything you can to empower the boys when filming and help them make content. Help them be idiots.” They believe that this could have laid the groundwork for the sexual harassment, disadvantages and severe embarrassment that many female contestants reported on set. Altogether, the show’s physiological plot twists and the growing accusations towards Donaldson led to many regarding his treatment of contestants as little more than pawns for views.
Overall, Donaldson’s long history on the internet and immense fame couples with a considerable amount of controversy, leading to many theorizing that he is a different person when the cameras aren’t rolling. In its entirety, his brand polarizes viewers and raises the question of the ethics of his entertainment. Would he be as charitable off-camera? Is he exploiting people’s economic situations by holding massive amounts of money over their heads? Is he, in that process, making them complete embarrassing or dehumanizing challenges to generate views? What goes on offstage that isn’t seen?
As Wynne states, “I don’t think he’s a bad person. I think he does a lot of good things, but his videos are definitely embellished, and it’s not just random people out there on the street. There’s a lot of stuff that goes behind the scenes. I’m not gonna say he’s a complete fraud, but there are certainly some questionable things out there.”
