Jimmy ‘MrBeast’ Donaldson has reached new peaks of generosity.
The 21-year-old YouTube star, who rose to fame for video contests and stunts in which he has bestowed millions of dollars in prize money, is now apparently looking to reward participants in other organizations’ sweepstakes.
Case in point: a 27-year-old named Anthony Peterson won a half-court basketball shot contest during a New York Knicks game last weekend (see below), whereupon the team awarded him $1,000 in lottery tickets — with which Peterson then pocketed $500, ESPN reports. But after Peterson’s shot went viral on social media, many began to question the relatively paltry prize — especially given that the Los Angeles Lakers had awarded $100,000 to another half-court shooter the week prior. Then, a tweet from SportsCenter showcasing Peterson’s shot caught Donaldson’s eye.
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As Peterson tells it, Donaldson suggested on Twitter that Peterson DM him for a revamped prize — to the tune of $10,000 — and so he quickly took him up on the offer. “I just like helping people,” Donaldson told ESPN of his decision to get involved. He also tweeted out an offer to other sports organizations at large: “If any other sports teams want me to run their half-time show, let me know,” he wrote.
The most recent stunt on Donaldson’s own channel saw him handing out $1 million to the winner of a contest that ultimately spanned 36 hours. Additionally, Donaldson harnesses his massive reach — including 29 million YouTube subscribers and 9.2 million Instagram followers — for charity, as the co-founder of #TeamTrees, a fundraising venture that will plant 20 million trees by year’s end in a bid to support reforestation efforts.
$1k in scratch off tickets? Tell this man to dm me and I’ll send him $10,000 for hitting that shot 👏
— MrBeast (@MrBeastYT) January 11, 2020
