It’s been a busy week for Jimmy Donaldson. Over just a few days, the man known as MrBeast was named as YouTube’s Top Creator of 2022 and took home the Streamy Award for Creator of the Year. Those plaudits came on the heels of his new collaboration with toy company Nerf and his appearance on the cover of Forbes‘ annual 30 Under 30 issue.
The Forbes cover story calls out the remarkable wealth Donaldson has generated from his content and offline ventures. The piece suggests that the North Carolina native could become the first person to turn YouTube videos into a billion-dollar enterprise. Donaldson played it cool. “Your probability of being a billionaire is higher if you don’t make that your goal,” he told Forbes. “Just focus on making a company that is dope.”
Big financial gains were a key theme in this year’s 30 For 30 issue, with Forbes noting that its honorees have raised more than $1 billion in funding. Donaldson is not the only creator contributing to that total. A broad range of categories recognized digital media notables like Jojo Siwa, Rachell ‘Valkyrae’ Hofstetter, Eitan Bernath, and a swath of additional social stars.
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If Donaldson is going to become the first YouTube billionaire, he won’t have time for many breaks, and even though the media spent the week celebrating him, he didn’t take a minute off. Instead, the noted workaholic pushed out another video, which included an advertisement for his new product. While refereeing a 100-hour competition between kids and their parents, Donaldson unveiled the Nerf Pro Gelfire x MrBeast Full Auto Blaster, which is available via Hasbro Pulse, Walmart, Target, and Amazon.
If Donaldson’s 2023 looks anything like the end of this year, then he can expect another round of cheers next holiday season. At the very least, it’s clear his next 12 months will be filled with more videos, more extreme contests, and a lot more products.
