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110-718: James Stephen " Jimmy " Donaldson (born May 7, 1998), better known by his online alias MrBeast , is an American YouTuber, internet personality , and businessman. He is known for his fast-paced and high-production videos featuring elaborate challenges and lucrative giveaways. With over 330 million subscribers, he has the most subscribers of any YouTube channel, and is the third-most-followed creator on TikTok with over 104 million followers. He also has over 60 million followers on Instagram and 30.9 million on X (formerly Twitter). Donaldson grew up in Greenville, North Carolina . He began posting videos to YouTube in early 2012 under
220-685: A Facebook and Snapchat content distribution deal with Jellysmack. During a Clubhouse room in February 2021, Donaldson booted entrepreneur Farokh Sarmad after he allegedly said he could not pronounce his name, a move that Sarmad later said was racist. Sarmad's claims were questioned and denied by other Clubhouse users, who were present at the call and argued against Sarmad's claims, claiming that Donaldson removed him along with others to make room for women to be more inclusive. In November 2021, Donaldson uploaded " $ 456,000 Squid Game in Real Life! ",
330-479: A "retard". Turner reported that he was regularly not credited for his work. Reporting by Insider showed that Turner previously posted a video in 2018 explaining his allegations and, in October 2019, released a deleted Twitter thread which stated that he was "yelled at, bullied, called mentally retarded and replaceable by Donaldson every single day". Nate Anderson, another editor, quit after working for Donaldson for
440-399: A $ 2 million investment fund for content creators. In April 2021, Donaldson became a long-term investor and partner of financial technology company Current. The same month, Donaldson received backlash after fans lost large amounts of money in a cryptocurrency scheme that Donaldson had invested in and promoted. In November 2022, Donaldson partnered with East Carolina University to create
550-635: A 2D anime form of that character on the album covers, allowing recognition of the avatar and for the agency. In 2023 in the United States, 27 million people were paid content creators. Of those, 12 million did content creation as their full-time profession. 8 million did it as part-time work, and 7 million did it as a hobby. Different types of internet celebrities can make money in various ways, but most of them earn money from endorsements or sponsorships. Internet celebrities can use their fame to promote products or experiences to their followers, as
660-739: A Baguette?" is the most watched video on his main YouTube channel, having more than 1.3 billion views and 50 million likes as of January 2024. On June 2, 2024, Donaldson surpassed India-based music label and film production company T-Series for the title of the most subscribed channel on YouTube, at 267 million. On July 10, 2024, Donaldson became the first YouTuber to surpass 300 million subscribers. On July 13, 2024, Donaldson uploaded his 300 million subscribers special, " 50 YouTubers Fight for $ 1,000,000 ". The video featured guest appearances from Howie Mandel , Miranda Cosgrove , and Joey Chestnut . This video reached 71 million views in
770-753: A commercial data company affiliated with Alibaba Group , the Chinese internet celebrity economy was estimated to be worth CN¥ 58 billion ( US$ 8.4 billion ) in 2016, more than China's total cinema box office revenue in 2015. There are two main business models in the wanghong economy: social media advertising, and online retail. In the online retailing business model, e-commerce-based wanghong use social media platforms to sell self-branded products to potential buyers among followers via Chinese customer-to-customer (C2C) websites, such as Taobao . Internet celebrities may promote their products by modeling for their shops by posting pictures or videos of themselves wearing
880-460: A company that links influencers with sponsorships, transformed the landscape of influencing. There is much debate about whether social media influencers can be considered celebrities, as their path to fame is often less traditional and arguably easier. Melody Nouri addresses the differences between the two types in her article "The Power of Influence: Traditional Celebrities vs Social Media Influencer". Nouri asserts that social media platforms have
990-470: A course centered around YouTube content creation. In May 2023, Donaldson was featured as a guest judge on Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars show. In 2023, a free ad-supported streaming television network named Mr. Beast that only shows previously released MrBeast YouTube videos began airing on the Roku Channel service. In March 2024, Donaldson and Amazon MGM Studios announced their plans to create
1100-514: A five-year point in my life where I was just relentlessly, unhealthily obsessed with studying virality, studying the YouTube algorithm. I woke up. I would Uber Eats food. And then I would sit on my computer all day just studying shit nonstop with [other YouTubers]." Donaldson uploaded his first YouTube video in February 2012, at the age of 13, under the name of "MrBeast6000". His early content ranged from Let's Plays , mainly focused on Minecraft and Call of Duty: Black Ops II , videos estimating
1210-404: A following. Fame can be attained through different avenues and media forms, including art, humor, modeling, and podcasts . Marketing experts have concluded that anyone can build websites easily without any technical knowledge or complex coding languages. They can upload text, pictures, and videos instantly from personal computers or phones. With technological barriers diminishing, the web has become
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#17327908887021320-716: A full-time career as a YouTuber. His mother disapproved of his decision and made him move out of the family home. As his channel grew, Donaldson hired four childhood friends—Ava Kris Tyson, Chandler Hallow, Garrett Ronalds, and Jake Franklin—to contribute to his channel. Franklin left the crew in 2020. Afterward, Karl Jacobs , previously a cameraman, was promoted to take his place. In January 2017, Jimmy Donaldson published an almost day-long video of himself counting to 100,000, which became his breakthrough viral video. The ordeal took him 40 hours, with some parts sped up to "keep it under 24 hours". Donaldson gained popularity during this period with stunts, such as attempting to break glass using
1430-681: A fundraiser for Ocean Conservancy and The Ocean Cleanup that has raised over $ 30 million. Donaldson won the Creator of the Year award four years in a row at the Streamy Awards in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023; he also won the Favorite Male Creator award three times at the 2022 , 2023 , and 2024 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards . In 2023, Time named him as one of the world's 100 most influential people . He has ranked on
1540-610: A greater negative impact on young, impressionable audiences compared to traditional media like magazines, billboards, advertisements, and tabloids featuring celebrities. Online it is thought to be simpler to manipulate an image and lifestyle in such a way that viewers are more susceptible to believing it. The early 2000s showed corporate endeavors to leverage the internet for influence, with some companies participating in forums for promotions or providing bloggers with complimentary products in return for favorable reviews. A few of these practices were viewed as unethical for taking advantage of
1650-470: A hundred megaphones , watching paint dry for an hour, staying underwater for 24 hours, which ended up failing due to health issues, and an unsuccessful attempt to spin a fidget spinner for a day. By 2018, Donaldson had given out $ 1 million through his stunts, which earned him the title of "YouTube's biggest philanthropist ". During the PewDiePie vs T-Series rivalry in 2018, a competition to become
1760-632: A large quantity of a particular product unusually or spends an extravagant amount on it; and giveaway videos, where Donaldson gives away large amounts of money or extravagant prizes to people, usually including a competitive aspect. Giveaway videos are considered to be a distinctive feature of Donaldson's content. Donaldson's videos leverage YouTube's recommendation algorithm to go viral , mainly by maximizing click-through rate and viewer retention . To maximize click-through rate, he focuses on creating effective topics, titles, and thumbnails . In an interview with Lex Fridman , he stated that for him to create
1870-748: A means for people to reach a large, global audience, and internet celebrities are commonly present on large online platforms such as Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , and YouTube , which primarily rely on user-generated content . Certain internet celebrities may function as lifestyle gurus promoting a particular lifestyle or attitude . In this capacity they act as key amplifiers of trends across various genres including fashion, cooking, technology, travel, video games, movies, esports , politics, music, sports, and entertainment. As part of influencer marketing , companies and organizations may enlist internet celebrities to advertise their products to their fan base and followers on their respective platforms. In 1991,
1980-420: A meetup and invite fans to meet them at a certain place and time without proper organization. This can attract crowds of fans, causing disorderly or even unsafe situations. For example, Tanacon was an organization produced in collaboration with talent manager Michael Weist involving a group of internet celebrities who were set to meet paying fans, but did not follow through. Because of the disorganized setup,
2090-419: A method of providing credibility to products. In social media advertising, internet celebrities can be paid to advertise products. When they have garnered sufficient attention and following, they can be approached by advertising companies to help advertise products and reach a wider audience. Endorsements for fashion and cosmetic products are common for Instagram internet influencers. YouTubers tend to advertise
2200-399: A micro-celebrity's popularity is often directly linked to their audience, and the audience comes to expect a certain degree of authenticity and transparency. The Internet allows the masses to wrest control of fame from traditional media, creating micro-celebrities with the click of a mouse. Wanghong ( Chinese : 网红 ; pinyin : wǎnghóng ; lit. 'Internet fame') is
2310-466: A new reality competition series Beast Games , set to air exclusively on Prime Video. It is set to become the biggest reality competition series with 1,000 contestants competing for a $ 5 million cash prize—the biggest single prize in the history of television and streaming. The show faced criticism after contestants complained that they had been denied food, water, medication, and beds during production. Several contestants were hospitalized during
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#17327908887022420-429: A purchase, highlighting the impact of a negative review on a business's revenue. A typical method of marketing between the influencer and the audience is " B2C marketing ". B2C marketing, meaning Business to Consumer marketing, entails the strategies which a business would undertake to promote themselves and their services directly to their target audiences. This is typically through advertising and creating content through
2530-537: A recreation of the survival drama streaming television series Squid Game in real life. The video had 456 people compete for a $ 456,000 cash prize. The video was one of the most-watched YouTube videos of 2021, receiving over 130 million views within a week. A review of the video in Vice argued that it "badly misunderstood the anti-capitalist message of Squid Game ". Despite this, Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has reacted positively to recreations and parodies of
2640-695: A registered sex offender, who was charged with assaulting a minor. The uploader also alleged that Donaldson's cameraman sexually harassed multiple women. In September 2024, a class action lawsuit on behalf of former contestants of Beast Games was filed against Donaldson, Amazon, and associated production companies in Los Angeles Superior Court . The lawsuit alleged that the Beast Games contestants experienced widespread mistreatment, sexual harassment, and unpaid expenses and wages. The lawsuit also alleged that these violations occurred for
2750-625: A single viral event or viral video , and become an Internet meme . For example, Zach Anner , a comedian from Austin, Texas , gained worldwide attention after submitting a video to Oprah Winfrey 's "Search for the Next TV Star" competition. Viral videos from internet celebrities could entail a funny event happening in the moment, a popular new dance, or even a post on Twitter, such as the "Alex from Target" tweet in 2014. Many other people build their followings slowly over time, sharing their daily life and passions with people. Families such as
2860-969: A specific type of internet celebrity is known as a net idol ( ネットアイドル , Netto aidoru ) , a sub-category of the idol industry in Japan . Net idols first emerged in the 1990s through personal websites and blogs when internet became more accessible, with some selling personal merchandise such as photo books through their websites. Around March 2007, dance covers (known as odottemita ( 踊ってみた , lit. "I tried dancing") ) became popular in video-sharing websites such as Niconico , which in turn led people into performing choreographed dances from anime series and idol groups. Notable creators of dance covers, known as odorite ( 踊り手 ) , who later debuted as idols include Kozue Aikawa from Danceroid , Beckii Cruel , and Keekihime . VTubers or virtual Youtubers are entertainers that use digital 3D model avatars that are computer generated. VTubers originated from Japan, beginning in
2970-428: A study that was done on Hungarian adolescents demonstrate these effects. The research found that the desire for fame on the internet was negatively associated with self-acceptance and potentially result to materialism and the desire for social recognition. Internet celebrities are also able to influence fans through creating parasocial relationships with their audiences. For example, Kim Kardashian frequently creates
3080-421: A substantial amount of money. The Verge noted that his revenue is self-perpetuating: "The more viral he becomes, the more brands want to work with him, and the bigger his own AdSense earnings get. He can then entice viewers with even bigger giveaway videos. It's a never ending cycle". He stated in an interview with Rolling Stone : "I could be doing cheaper videos, [...] But I just don't want to. I want to push
3190-455: A toxic work environment". Donaldson also claims that he gave Turner $ 10,000 and suggested a job at another company to him at the end of his contract. In June 2020, Donaldson, in collaboration with Brooklyn -based art collective MSCHF , released a one-time multiplayer mobile game titled Finger on the App . In the game, players touch their phone screen and the last person to remove their finger from
3300-400: A viral video, it needed to be "original, creative, something people really need to see, ideally never been done before". His titles are designed to attract attention by promising outrageous stunts, and using certain keywords like "24-hours" and "challenge". His thumbnails are designed to be easily understandable, clearly focused, and brightly colored. To maximize viewer retention, Donaldson paces
3410-442: A week in 2018 over what he said were unreasonable demands and called Donaldson a perfectionist. After releasing a video describing his experience, Anderson reportedly received death threats from Donaldson's fans. Nine other employees who worked for Donaldson also stated that while he was sometimes generous, his demeanor would change when the cameras were off. Donaldson disputes these claims, stating: "We have high standards, but it’s not
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3520-585: A wider array of products, regardless of relevance to their genre of content. Influencers can also expand their source of revenue by creating their own products or merchandise to sell. By doing this, and by using their platform to promote their products to an established audience, influencers can earn money by developing their own reputable brands. Bloggers can feature sponsored posts in social media to make profits. For instance, fashion blogger Chiara Ferragni started as an online blogger, and then gained millions of followers on Instagram. She later created her brand,
3630-482: A year to be eligible. A micro-celebrity, also known as a micro-influencer, is a person famous within a niche group of users on a social media platform. Micro-celebrities often present themselves as public figures. The concept of the micro-celebrity was originally developed by Theresa Senft and P. A. Poitier in their 2008 book, Camgirls: Celebrity and Community in the Age of Social Networks . According to Senft and Poitier,
3740-576: Is a comparable Chinese version; Chinese social media platforms, however, generate revenue differently. The greatest difference between Chinese internet celebrities and their Western counterparts is that the profits generated by Chinese celebrities can be immense. Unlike YouTube, which takes 45% of advertising revenue, Sina Weibo, one of the largest Chinese social media platforms, is not involved in advertising, which allows internet celebrities to be more independent. The monthly income of Chinese influencers can exceed CN¥10 million ( US$ 1.5 million ). In Japan ,
3850-562: Is a form of ostracism where an individual is excluded from social or professional circles because of certain past or present actions or allegations. The act may occur on social media platforms or in person. Cancel culture is a common term among internet celebrities where they may lose their source of income, fans, or reputation because of their controversial actions. For example, Beauty Guru YouTuber Jeffree Star has faced many allegations of misconduct in his career, which include cyberbullying and vocally expressing racist remarks. On July 10, 2020,
3960-544: Is comparable to the US$ 21 million made by Fan Bingbing (范冰冰), a top Chinese actress. Li Ziqi (李子柒), a celebrity food blogger with more than 16 million followers on Weibo, has inspired many bloggers to post similar content on traditional Chinese cooking and crafts. Censorship in China has created an independent social media ecosystem that has become successful in its own way. For every Western social media platform, there
4070-420: Is left highly unregulated by existing legislation. This became a prevalent concern when users on social media platforms were finding it difficult to distinguish any differences between advertisements and sponsorships with personal posts. This was evident with the mismanagement of Fyre Festival , where numerous Instagram influencers were sanctioned for their lack of transparency. This led to a massive backlash from
4180-575: Is selling crap to kids who don't know better than to trust the people who are selling it to them." Donaldson is an investor in the tech startup Backbone , which produces the Backbone One , a controller that makes smartphones appear more similar to Nintendo Switch controllers, and the Backbone app, a content creation and social tools app for its users. In March 2021, Donaldson partnered with Creative Juice financial network to introduce Juice Funds,
4290-475: Is small or wide. A scholarly article published from Thammasat University in Thailand explains that the younger generation is becoming more attracted to the path of fame compared to the typical intellectual development and financial security route. The appearance of the ease and simplicity of the life of internet celebrities obstructs the reality of what this life often really entails. Seeing influencers display
4400-696: Is the fourth most-subscribed non-corporation YouTuber. Every minute, 300 hours of videos are uploaded to YouTube, and 5 billion videos are watched every day. In August 2014, Variety wrote that YouTubers are more popular than mainstream celebrities among U.S. teens. Advertisers, in an effort to reach teenagers and millennials who do not watch regular television and movies, have started contacting YouTubers and other internet celebrities. YouTube's AdSense program enables creators to earn money from advertisements. AdSense has certain requirements—a YouTuber must have more than 1,000 subscribers, live in an eligible country, and have more than 4,000 hours of watch time within
4510-539: The Forbes list for the highest-paid YouTube creator in 2022 and has an estimated net worth of $ 500 million. In September 2024, Donaldson was one of the subjects of a class action lawsuit that alleged widespread mistreatment, sexual harassment, and unpaid expenses and wages. James Stephen Donaldson was born on May 7, 1998, in Wichita, Kansas . He was mainly raised in Greenville, North Carolina . He moved often and
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4620-556: The 2023–24 NBA season . However, the partnership has since ended. On January 11, 2024, Donaldson announced changes to the original Feastables bar, including a new shape and formula. In September 2024, Donaldson announced the Lunchly brand of snack kits. The brand, marketed as a healthier alternative to Lunchables , was founded as joint venture with fellow YouTubers Olajide "KSI" Olatunji and Logan Paul . At launch, each box included Prime and Feastables, existing products offered by
4730-726: The COVID-19 pandemic . In 2020, Time named Neto and fellow YouTuber JoJo Siwa to its annual list of the world's 100 most influential people. Due to this level of influence, in 2013, University of Michigan associate professor Robert Hovden argued for the creation of a new index similar to the g-index and h-index to evaluate a person's output and impact on YouTube. YouTubers can earn revenue from Google AdSense . Additionally, they can supplement their income through affiliate links , merchandising , and 3rd party memberships using platforms such as Patreon . Popular channels have garnered corporate sponsors, who pay to be included in
4840-541: The Internet and the World Wide Web became widely available, leading to the creation of numerous websites dedicated to shared interests. These forums allowed users to seek advice and help from experienced individuals in their field, increasing the availability of information beyond mainstream print media and corporate websites . Dedicated social media platforms emerged from these developments, providing users with
4950-555: The Chiara Ferragni Collection. Like many other Instagram celebrities, Ferragni started by charging money per post for promoting brands. She earns revenue from promotional Instagram posts and the sale of her own products. In 2020, a report by venture-capital firm SignalFire stated that the economy spawned by internet creators was the "fastest-growing type of small business". Despite the recent emergence of influencer culture, influencer marketing and advertising it
5060-506: The Chinese version of Internet stardom. The wanghong economy is a Chinese digital economy based on influencer marketing in social media. Some wanghong celebrities generate profits via retail or e-commerce , through attracting the attention of their followers. Internet celebrities have become a popular phenomenon in China. For example, Sister Furong ( Fúróng Jiějiě, 芙蓉姐姐) received worldwide notoriety and fame for her self-promotion efforts through online posts. According to CBN Data,
5170-645: The Chocolate Factory . The video, released in June 2022, contained a series of elimination challenges where the winner won the choice of the chocolate factory or a $ 500,000 cash prize. Michelin Star chef Gordon Ramsay featured as a judge in the final challenge of the video and ultimately decided who won the cash prize. Feastables reportedly made $ 10 million in its first few months of operation. On March 3, 2023, Donaldson asked fans on Twitter to "clean up
5280-582: The English language in 2006, and subsequently appeared in the 2006 Time Person of the Year issue. Influential YouTubers are frequently described as microcelebrities . Since YouTube is widely conceived as a bottom-up social media video platform, microcelebrities do not appear to be involved with the established and commercial system of celebrity culture; rather, they appear self-governed and independent. This appearance, in turn, leads to YouTubers being seen as more relatable and authentic, also fostered by
5390-531: The Former CEO and founder of the agency Mediakix, previously spoke with Business Insider and said he believed influencer marketing on Instagram would continue to grow despite likes being hidden. By the 2010s, the term "influencer" described digital content creators with a large following, distinctive brand persona, and a patterned relationship with commercial sponsors. Consumers often mistakenly view celebrities as reliable, leading to trust and confidence in
5500-536: The LaBrant Family and The Bucket List Family share their children, life experiences, and travels with their followers. Individuals such as MrBeast and David Dobrik post content about their lifestyle and host challenges and giveaways. Although multiple studies offer slightly differing views, internet celebrities, or influencers, can be broken into five or six different categories: Nano, Micro, Mid-tier, Macro, Mega, and Celebrity. YouTube has risen as one of
5610-608: The MrBeast Burger brand, and accused Donaldson of attempting a new deal for personal gain and resorting to "bullying" when rejected. On July 24, 2024, Donaldson removed Ava Kris Tyson, one of the original cast members, from the MrBeast brand following allegations against Tyson of sexual misconduct with multiple minors and of pressuring a former employee to perform sexual acts. However, Tyson put out her own statement, saying she willingly stepped away and that her decision to leave
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#17327908887025720-550: The Partner Program, which allows channels that meet certain metrics (currently 1000 subscribers and 4000 public watch hours in the past year) to run ads on their videos and earn money doing so. The Partner Program allowed for the first time YouTube personalities to make a living from the platform. During the 2010s, the ability for YouTubers to achieve wealth and fame due to success on the platform increased dramatically. In December 2010, Business Insider estimated that
5830-524: The YouTube channels Beast Reacts (formerly BeastHacks), MrBeast Gaming, MrBeast 2 (formerly MrBeast Shorts), and the philanthropy channel Beast Philanthropy. Donaldson is the founder of MrBeast Burger , Feastables , and a co-founder of Team Trees , a fundraiser for the Arbor Day Foundation that has raised over $ 24 million for its campaigns, and Lunchly , a food and snack brand similar to Lunchables . He also co-founded Team Seas ,
5940-623: The ability to create profiles and connect with others. SixDegrees.com pioneered this concept in 1997. Additionally, websites supporting blogging emerged around the same time, allowing users to publish long-form articles and stories. Since then forums, social media and blogging have transformed into integral components of communication, social interaction, business and journalism. Popular social media platforms include Facebook , Instagram , YouTube , Reddit , Twitch , Snapchat , TikTok , Twitter , Discord , Viber , WeChat , and WhatsApp . The origins of online influencing can be traced back to
6050-477: The allegations as "massive lies," with one saying, "People used my name to make very serious allegations and claims without ever speaking to me." On July 24, 2024, one of Donaldson's former employees released a YouTube video accusing Donaldson of rigging contests, running illegal lotteries, and deceiving his fans. In a second video, the uploader interviewed another former employee who described poor working conditions and Donaldson hiring Jake Franklin's brother-in-law,
6160-429: The appearance of authenticity through harnessing the emotions of her audience. In Lueck's (2012) study they find that 60% of her Facebook advertising contains an "embedded emotional/transformational story". Her social media posts blur the boundaries between commercial promotion and personal storytelling, making it more difficult for followers to distinguish between authentic messages and promotional material. This motivates
6270-411: The biggest platforms for launching internet celebrities. YouTube creators (known as YouTubers ), regardless of the genres or types of videos they make, have created an industry that can generate revenue from video views and online popularity. For example, Swedish internet celebrity PewDiePie uploads gaming and comedy videos on YouTube. As of October 2024 , he has around 110 million subscribers and
6380-577: The boundaries to go bigger, bigger". Donaldson earns passive income through merchandise, MrBeast Burger , and Feastables . As of 2023, Donaldson employs over 250 people. They include writers, editors, and producers. Many employees are people familiar to Donaldson, such as friends and family members. Some former employees alleged that Donaldson nurtured a difficult work environment. In a May 2021 New York Times article, Matt Turner, an editor for Donaldson from February 2018 to September 2019, claimed that Donaldson berated him almost daily, including calling him
6490-405: The clothes or accessories they sell, or giving makeup or fashion tips. They serve as key opinion leaders for their followers, who either aspire to be like them or look up to them. Zhang Dayi (张大奕)—one of China's best-known wanghong according to BBC News , with 4.9 million followers on Sina Weibo —has an online shop on Taobao, reportedly earning CN¥300 million ( US$ 46 million ) per year. This
6600-451: The company "won't let me stop even though it's terrible for my brand". On July 31, 2023, Donaldson sued Virtual Dining Concepts to end their partnership, alleging that the company damaged Donaldson's reputation by prioritizing the expansion of the MrBeast Burger brand over food quality. Donaldson also claimed he received no payment from the partnership. Virtual Dining Concepts disputed the claims, stating Donaldson had grown his reputation due to
6710-582: The concept of the micro-celebrity "is best understood as a new style of online performance that involves people 'amping up' their popularity over the Web using technologies like video, blogs and social networking sites". A micro-celebrity is also known as "a form of identity linked almost exclusively to the internet, characterizing a process by which people express, create and share their identities online". However, micro-celebrities differ from more traditional forms of celebrities associated with Hollywood stars because
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#17327908887026820-415: The creation of a new food company called Feastables, which launched its brand of chocolate bars called "Feastables". At launch, they offered three flavors of bars: original, almond, and quinoa crunch. The launch corresponded with a sweepstakes with over $ 1 million in prizes, including $ 10,000 prize winners who would receive a chance to compete for a chocolate factory in a future video, emulating Charlie and
6930-414: The creators, along with three varieties of turkey with cheese and crackers , nachos with salsa and cheese, or pizza . Lunchly faced substantial criticism on various social media platforms from individuals who questioned the marketing tactics and nutritional quality of the lunch kit. Notably, YouTuber DanTDM expressed his disapproval of Lunchly by posting on his X (formerly Twitter) profile, "This
7040-523: The direct connection between artist and viewer using the medium of YouTube. In 2014, the University of Southern California surveyed 13–18-year-olds in the United States on whether ten YouTube celebrities or ten traditional celebrities were more influential; YouTube personalities took the first five spots of the ranking, with the YouTube duo Smosh ranking as most influential. The survey
7150-554: The early 2010s, and have risen in popularity in the 2020s. The first virtual Youtuber was Ami Yamato, who debuted on May 18, 2011; the first VTuber who had used the phrase "virtual Youtuber" is Kizuna AI , who began entertaining in 2016. The appeal of VTubers is similar to a real person, except the entertainer may choose to remain anonymous through their VTuber persona. The 2D anime virtual avatars appealed to many Japanese fans and popularity began to spread internationally. In October 2021, there has been reported to be 16,000 VTubers around
7260-400: The emergence of digital blogs and platforms in the early 2000s. Nevertheless recent studies demonstrate that Instagram, an application with more than one billion users, harbors the majority of the influencer demographic. These individuals are sometimes referred to as "Instagrammers" or "Instafamous." A crucial aspect of influencing lies in their association with sponsors. The 2015 debut of Vamp,
7370-610: The entire platform at once. When the ads were introduced in August 2006, YouTube CEO Chad Hurley rejected the idea of expanding into areas of advertising seen as less user-friendly at the time, saying, "We think there are better ways for people to engage with brands than forcing them to watch a commercial before seeing content. You could ask anyone on the net if they enjoy that experience and they'd probably say no." However, YouTube began running in-video ads in August 2007, with preroll ads introduced in 2008. In December 2007, YouTube launched
7480-729: The fifth channel and the second individual YouTuber to achieve the milestone. On November 17, 2022, Donaldson achieved the Guinness World Record of "Most Subscribers for an Individual Male on YouTube" with his MrBeast channel at 112 million subscribers. The previous record holder, PewDiePie , had held the record as the most subscribed YouTuber for almost ten years. Donaldson achieved one billion video views over 30 days on his main YouTube channel in November 2022. On October 15, 2023, Donaldson surpassed 200 million subscribers. His YouTube Shorts video "Would You Fly to Paris for
7590-438: The first 24 hours, becoming Donaldson's most-viewed video within its first 24 hours. Early in his career, Donaldson's content usually consisted of Let's Plays , "best and worst" videos and YouTube commentary. Donaldson's present-day videos are categorized into three genres: stunt videos, where Donaldson or other participants perform challenges that are interesting, challenging, or dangerous; "junklord" videos, where Donaldson uses
7700-651: The first filming sessions, with over a dozen contestants claiming that various injuries had occurred while participating in the challenges and that many had been seen being removed from the arena on stretchers. A spokesperson of Donaldson would blame external factors such as the global computer systems outage caused by CrowdStrike's update to its software , "extreme weather and other unexpected logistical and communications issues". On June 17, 2023, Donaldson expressed wishes to shut down MrBeast Burger due to fears that quality cannot be guaranteed, saying he regrets signing "a bad deal" with Virtual Dining Concepts , LLC, but said
7810-509: The first influencer marketing network. Murphy succeeded Blogstar with PayPerPost, which was introduced in 2006. This platform compensated significant posters on prominent forums and social media platforms for every post made about a corporate product. Payment rates were determined by the influencer's status. Though very popular, PayPerPost, received a great deal of criticism as these influencers were not required to disclose their involvement with PayPerPost as traditional journalism would have. With
7920-402: The followers to engage in particular purchasing behaviours which reflects her parasocial influence. YouTuber This is an accepted version of this page A YouTuber is a type of content creator and social media influencer who uploads or creates videos on the online video-sharing website YouTube , typically posting to their personal YouTube channel. The term was first used in
8030-508: The game featured a grand prize of $ 100,000. The winner kept their finger on the phone screen for around 51 hours. The second-place finisher also received a prize of $ 20,000. Will Hyde, a producer for the MrBeast channel, announced in a November 2020 article with The Wake Weekly that Donaldson would launch a virtual restaurant called MrBeast Burger in December 2020. Hyde said his team worked with Virtual Dining Concepts while developing
8140-412: The handle MrBeast6000 . His early content ranged from Let's Plays to "videos estimating the wealth of other YouTubers". He went viral in 2017 after his "counting to 100,000" video earned tens of thousands of views in just a few days. His videos have become increasingly grand and extravagant. Once his channel took off, Donaldson hired some of his childhood friends to co-run the brand. Donaldson also runs
8250-451: The highest donation at 1,000,001 trees planted. As of June 5, 2024, the original goal of 20 million trees has been far surpassed, with over 24.7 million trees in the ground. Internet personality An internet celebrity , also referred to as a social media personality or an influencer , is an individual who has acquired or developed their fame and notability on the Internet . The growing popularity of social media provides
8360-452: The highest earner on YouTube during the previous year was Dane Boedigheimer , creator of the web series Annoying Orange , with an income of around $ 257,000. Five years later, Forbes released its first list of the highest-earning YouTube personalities, estimating top earner PewDiePie 's income during the previous fiscal year at $ 12 million, more than some popular actors such as Cameron Diaz or Gwyneth Paltrow . Forbes estimated that
8470-767: The highlights of their lives has shown to produce some unintended effects on fans. Those who closely follow the lives of internet celebrities are more likely to develop psychological difficulties such as anxiety, depression, and dissociation. Although many internet celebrities appreciate the support and loyalty of their viewers and fans, the dedication to their lives can sometimes be intense. Fans may develop extreme behaviors or attitudes towards their favorite celebrities that can be identified as obsessive or may sometimes result to criminal behavior. The younger crowd are also being impacted through seeing their internet celebrities on different social media platforms. The Journal of Behavioral Addictions published by Akademiai Kiado evaluates
8580-400: The ideal platform for personal branding. Depending on their rise to fame, internet celebrities may reach their audiences in different ways. Some people write journals or blogs, some make YouTube or TikTok videos, others post frequently on Instagram or Twitter (X). The Internet has made fame accessible to and attainable for the general public. In some cases, people might rise to fame through
8690-505: The influencer themselves. The intention is that their followers, who relate or look up to certain influencers, will be more inclined to purchase an item because their favorite "Internet celebrity" recommended it. Internet celebrities typically promote a lifestyle of beauty and luxury fashion and foster consumer–brand relationships, while selling their own lines of merchandise. "Digital Branding: A Comprehensive Step-by-Step Guide to Strategy, Tactics, Tools, and Metrics" by David Rowles explains
8800-399: The labor of young individuals without providing remuneration. The Blogstar Network was established in 2004 by Ted Murphy of MindComet. Bloggers were encouraged to join an email list and receive remunerated offers from corporations in exchange for creating specific posts. For instance, bloggers were compensated for writing reviews of fast-food meals on their blogs. Blogstar is widely regarded as
8910-420: The makeup brand Morphe cut ties and ceased all makeup collaborations with Jeffree Star because his problematic past had resurfaced. The year before that, Kuwaiti celebrity Sondos Alqattan was "cancelled" for criticising Filipinos. As a result of this, some brands cut ties with her. Meetups are often a way internet celebrities interact with fans in real life. Occasionally, an internet celebrity might organize
9020-415: The meetup resulted in chaos. Alternatively, events can be organized at a venue with security personnel. VidCon is an annual organized video conference designed for people interested in online videos. It invites internet content creators to participate in events for paying fans, such as performances, panels, and meet-and-greets. Internet celebrities can draw in a devoted crowd of fans whether their reach
9130-410: The methods online influencers employ to increase their audience and brand visibility. Digital branding encompasses all online experiences and necessitates value provision." It is suggested that users are already familiar with the lives of their influencers as devoted followers. This makes it easy for them to promote companies as their followers feel as though they know the celebrities they follow, despite
9240-676: The most-subscribed channel on YouTube, Donaldson bought billboards and numerous television and radio advertisements to help PewDiePie gain more subscribers than T-Series . During Super Bowl LIII , he bought multiple seats for himself and his team, whose shirts spelled out "Sub 2 PewDiePie". In March 2019, Donaldson organized and filmed a real-life battle royale competition in Los Angeles with prizes totaling $ 200,000 (two games were played, each awarding $ 100,000) in collaboration with Apex Legends . The event and prize pool were sponsored by Apex Legends publisher Electronic Arts . Donaldson
9350-472: The opportunity to view exclusive content by clicking on the ad. The first such ad was for the Fox show Prison Break and solely appeared above videos on Paris Hilton's channel. At the time, the channel was operated by Warner Bros. Records and was cited as the first brand channel on the platform. Participatory video ads were designed to link specific promotions to specific channels rather than advertising on
9460-501: The presentation" of Feastables displays on store shelves and suggested that they obscure competing products. Feastables offered fans entry into a $ 5,000 raffle if they provided proof of their assistance. The tweets drew criticism and accusations that Feastables was exploiting fans for unpaid labor. On October 2, 2023, Feastables signed a partnership with the Charlotte Hornets to include MrBeast's insignia on their jerseys for
9570-711: The products being promoted. A 2001 study from Rutgers University discovered that individuals were using "internet forums as influential sources of consumer information." The study proposes that consumers preferred internet forums and social media when making purchasing decisions over conventional advertising and print sources. An influencer's personality strongly impacts their audience's purchasing decision, with those who engage with their audience being more persuasive in encouraging product purchases. Companies today place great importance on feedback and comments received through social media platforms as consumers trust other consumers. Reviews are often relied on to persuade consumers to make
9680-460: The project, and trees began to be planted in October 2019 in US national parks. On December 19 of that year, the $ 20 million goal was surpassed. The project has received large donations from corporate executives Jack Dorsey , Susan Wojcicki , Elon Musk , and Tobias Lütke , and companies such as Discovery , Verizon , and PopCap . Tobias Lütke , founder and CEO of Shopify , holds the record for
9790-776: The public, who felt the promotion of the event deliberately misled and confused target audiences. As a result, numerous advertising bodies sought to introduce strict regulations and guidelines around influencer marketing. This includes the AANA (Australian Associations of National Advertisers), who states that influencer advertising must be "clearly distinguishable". In August 2024, the Federal Trade Commission voted unanimously to ban marketers from using fake user reviews created by generative artificial intelligence chatbots (such as ChatGPT ) and influencers paying for bots to increase follower counts . Cancel culture
9900-522: The purpose of gaining Nevada tax credits: “Plaintiffs and the Proposed Class [were forced] to enter into illegal contracts and provid[e] false information to the State of Nevada to obtain unearned tax credits.” On October 25, 2019, Donaldson and former NASA engineer and YouTuber Mark Rober announced a collaborative fundraising challenge event on YouTube called #TeamTrees. The goal of this project
10010-448: The reality being different. Self-branding, also known as personal branding , describes the development of a public image for commercial gain or social or cultural capital. The rise of social media has been exploited by individuals seeking personal fame and product sales. Platforms such as Instagram , Twitch , Snapchat , VSCO , YouTube , and TikTok , are the most common social media outlets on which online influencers attempt to build
10120-635: The restaurant concept. He said MrBeast Burger will sell franchise rights to serve the burgers to restaurants across the U.S., and customers will be able to order the burgers via online delivery services . In August 2022, Donaldson announced that he would bring a MrBeast Burger shop to the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey , near New York City , to be the location of his first U.S. restaurant. The restaurant opened on September 4, 2022. In January 2022, Donaldson announced
10230-594: The revival of the Nickelodeon show Double Dare and starred in the Netflix dance-comedy film Work It . In 2019, Ryan's Mystery Playdate , a show starring Ryan Kaji, the then-seven-year-old host of the toy review and vlog channel Ryan's World , began airing on the Nick Jr. Channel ; later that year, NBC debuted A Little Late with Lilly Singh in its 1:35 am ET time slot. Singh's digital prominence
10340-446: The screen wins $ 25,000. In the end, four people won $ 20,000 each after keeping their finger on the app for over 70 hours. The game was reportedly so successful that a sequel titled Finger on the App 2 was planned to originally launch in December 2020. The game was postponed to February, then further delayed to March 2021 due to a flood of downloads, causing the game to crash and requiring its developers to upgrade their servers. This time,
10450-597: The series. In December 2021, Donaldson created a third influencer tournament featuring 15 competitors with a grand prize of $ 1 million. In January 2022, Forbes ranked Donaldson as YouTube's highest-earning creator, earning an estimated $ 54 million in 2021. Forbes stated that his income in 2021 would have placed him 40th in the 2020 Forbes Celebrity 100 , earning as much money as Vin Diesel and Lewis Hamilton did in 2020. On July 28, 2022, Donaldson surpassed 100 million subscribers on his main channel, making him
10560-577: The success of PayPerPost, the public became aware that there was a drive for corporate interests to influence what some people were posting to these sites. The platform also incentivized other firms to establish comparable programs. Despite concerns, marketing networks with influencers continued to grow throughout the 2000s and into the 2010s. The influencer marketing industry is expected to be worth up to $ 15 billion by 2022, up from as much as $ 8 billion in 2019, according to estimates from Business Insider Intelligence, which are based on Mediakix data. Evan Asano,
10670-424: The tenth-highest earner that year was Rosanna Pansino at $ 2.5 million. That year, NME stated that " vlogging has become big business." The rapid influx of wealth within the YouTube community has led some to criticize YouTubers for focusing on earnings more than the creativity and connection with their fanbase that some claim was at the heart of the platform before expanded monetization. In August 2021, it
10780-447: The time, became YouTube's most-watched live Original event with 662,000 concurrent viewers. The event was won by Nadeshot . In October 2020, Donaldson hosted another influencer tournament, this time trivia , featuring 24 competitors with a grand prize of $ 300,000. The winners of the tournament were the siblings Charli and Dixie D'Amelio , which caused controversy due to claims that they cheated. On January 1, 2021, Donaldson released
10890-551: The time. Donaldson released a statement saying he was hiring an independent investigator to look further into the matter. On November 1, the law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan concluded the allegations were baseless, after conducting "39 interviews of current and former employees" and reviewing "over 4.5 million documents from mobile phones, emails, Telegrams, Discords, WhatsApps and Slack". The law firm reported that: "The allegations were soundly rejected, including by alleged victims." These alleged victims have commented on
11000-457: The video "Youtube Rewind 2020, Thank God It's Over". In Donaldson's video, he explains that he had always believed that YouTubers "should get more say in Rewind ", and with this in mind, he decided to call "hundreds of YouTubers". At the end of the video, Donaldson gives a shout-out to PewDiePie, citing him and his 2018 Rewind as the inspiration for Donaldson's Rewind. A month later, Donaldson signed
11110-623: The videos to have viewers engaged throughout. His videos typically span 10–30 minutes. He hooks viewers by explaining the premise in under half a minute at the start of the video, and promises a "finale" to have viewers engaged until the end of the video. Donaldson's funding for these videos mainly comes from sponsorships and Google's AdSense program. Donaldson was reported in 2022 to spend about $ 1 million on each video. Most of his funding comes from sponsorships. Donaldson uses his reaction channel and gaming channel to help finance his main channel, as their videos are relatively cheap to produce and make
11220-437: The videos. In 2018, Walmart , Nordstrom , and others sought YouTube stars as influencers . In the early days of YouTube, there was no way to monetize videos on the platform. Much of the site's content was homemade and produced by hobbyists with no plans for making money on the site. The first targeted advertising on the site came in the form of participatory video ads, which were videos in their own right that offered users
11330-451: The wealth of other YouTubers , videos that offered tips to upcoming YouTube creators, and commentary on YouTube drama. Donaldson appeared infrequently in these videos. In 2015 and 2016, Donaldson began to gain popularity with his "Worst Intros on YouTube" series poking fun at YouTube video introductions. By mid-2016, Donaldson had around 30,000 subscribers. In the fall of that year, Donaldson dropped out of East Carolina University to pursue
11440-455: The world. VTubers function in a similar fashion to YouTubers and streamers , with some VTubers being music artists. These VTubers that were music artists or broadcast their musical talent would be dubbed "VSinger" (virtual singer). Agencies such as Hololive and VShojo , scout and hire these VTubers to aid in marketing and build popularity. Their trademark character being the VTuber avatar or
11550-404: Was accused of using counterfeit money in his video titled "I Opened A FREE BANK", published on November 23, 2019. He later explained that he used fake money to avoid participant safety concerns and that participants received real checks after the shoot. In April 2020, Donaldson created a rock, paper, scissors competition stream that featured 32 influencers and a grand prize of $ 250,000, which, at
11660-647: Was cited as a reason for her selection as host by then-NBC Entertainment co-chairman George Cheeks. In 2024, Canadian YouTuber Jasmeet Singh Raina , otherwise known as JusReign, released his half-hour comedy series titled Late Bloomer . In addition to expanding into other forms of media, several YouTubers have used their influence to raise money for charity or speak out on social issues . Notable examples include James Stephen "MrBeast" Donaldson and Mark Rober , who helped raise over $ 20 million with their Team Trees campaign, and Felipe Neto , who publicly criticized Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro for his response to
11770-401: Was mutual. One of the alleged victims initially responded to the allegations by denying that he had been groomed, referring to it as "massive lies and twisting the truth" and claimed that Tyson had only "made a few edgy jokes". He later rescinded the statement and said that the conversations were inappropriate for his age and acknowledged that he was a minor who did not recognize the wrongdoing at
11880-487: Was repeated in 2015, and found six YouTubers on the first ranks, with KSI ranked as most influential. Several YouTubers and their influence were subjects for scientific studies, such as Zoella , and PewDiePie . Numerous studies in the late 2010s found that YouTuber was the most desired career by children. YouTubers' influence has also extended beyond the platform. Some have ventured into mainstream forms of media, such as Liza Koshy , who, among other pursuits, hosted
11990-506: Was to raise $ 20 million for the Arbor Day Foundation by January 1, 2020, and plant trees "no later than December 2022". Every donation goes to the Arbor Day Foundation, which pledges to plant one tree for every dollar donated. Notable YouTubers such as Rhett & Link , Marshmello , iJustine , Marques Brownlee , The Slow Mo Guys , Ninja , Simone Giertz , Jacksepticeye , and Smarter Every Day brought attention to
12100-629: Was under the care of au pairs due to his parents working long hours and serving in the military. His parents divorced in 2007. In 2016, Donaldson graduated from Greenville Christian Academy, a small private evangelical Christian high school in the area. He briefly attended East Carolina University before dropping out . While at Greenville Christian, Donaldson played baseball as an outfielder for several years. After dropping out of college, Donaldson and his friends tried to analyze YouTube's recommendation algorithm and sought to deduce how to create viral videos. Donaldson recalled during this period, "There's
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