The biggest name in online content creation, Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson, is in damage control mode after a series of alleged scandals have threatened to derail his algorithmically optimized YouTube brand. He recently promised employees a full investigation into his company’s culture and recent complaints of injuries and mistreatment in some of his biggest stunt videos.
According to an internal memo first reported by the AP, Donaldson announced earlier this week that there would be a “full assessment” of his business empire, which spans productions for elaborate YouTube videos as well as licensed foods including cookies and a chain of burger restaurants. “As your leader, I take responsibility, and I am committed to continue to improve and evolve my leadership style,” he wrote. “I recognize that I also need to create a culture that makes all our employees feel safe and allows them to do their best work.”
This assessment includes the hiring of a chief human resources officer, as well as an investigation into recent claims that contestants on his new game show were mistreated during filming. The New York Times reported that people competing for $5 million on his new Amazon Prime reality game show weren’t properly fed or provided adequate medical care after alleged incidents involving unsafe working conditions.
The memo also revealed that Donaldson hired outside law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan to investigate the behavior of former colleague Ava Kris Tyson, who was accused in July of sending sexually inappropriate messages to a minor. Donaldson called the behavior “unacceptable” in a statement last month when the two mutually agreed to part ways.
The YouTuber was also recently in crisis mode over his own past behavior after critics surfaced clips of him using homophobic slurs and making racist remarks during early video game livestreams when he was around 18 years old. Another incident involved him joking about having sex with then 14-year-old rapper Bhad Bhabie. “When Jimmy was a teenager he acted like many kids and used inappropriate language while trying to be funny,” a spokesperson for Donaldson told the AP last month.
Prior to the recent controversies, the MrBeast YouTube channel was known primarily for its viral videos around massive charity events like digging fresh water wells for residents in Uganda and wild stunts like driving trains into giant pits. It’s also known, though, for Donaldson’s ruthless gaming of the platform’s algorithm, which includes obsessing over his iconic YouTube thumbnails to maximize views and engagement.
“People shouldn’t be like me,” he said in a 2023 podcast. “I don’t have a life, I don’t have a personality.”