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By Billie Schwab Dunn
Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter
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A poll MrBeast posted on social media has backfired, with the majority of people saying they don't think he'll ever hit a billion subscribers on YouTube.
At 26 years old, MrBeast—real name Jimmy Donaldson—holds the record for the most subscribers on YouTube, which was 335 million at the time of writing. In January 2022, Forbes ranked him as the highest-earning content creator, with an estimated annual income of $54 million, drawn mostly from ads on his YouTube videos.
MrBeast has built himself an impressive empire, as he has also ventured into TV with the anticipated launch of his Prime Video show Beast Games. It should come as no surprise that he wants to continue to grow, but according to a poll he posted on X, not many people believe he will acquire one billion YouTube subscribers.
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Newsweek emailed a spokesperson for MrBeast for comment on Friday.
This week, the X account belonging to the entertainment website Puberty posted a photo of MrBeast alongside a screenshot of his follower count on YouTube, which was 334 million at the time. "MrBeast is now over 1/3 of the way to reaching ONE BILLION subscribers," the caption reads. It has 1.1 million views.
In response, MrBeast posted a poll in the comments. "Do you think I'll hit a billion subs one day?" he asked, with the post having 1 million views at the time of writing.
The poll has had 262,547 votes, with 47.4% of voters saying "yes" and 52.6% answering "no."
People are divided in the comments, with one person writing: "Not real people but with the helps [sic] of bots for sure."
"If you keep collabing [sic] with [Christiano] Ronaldo, for sure lol," said another.
"Yes but realistically because many people are subscribed on multiple accounts, whether it's a school account or business/personal," someone else wrote.
A fourth added: "You? No. Someone else in the next 10 years? Yea."
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The YouTuber previously responded to a class action lawsuit that alleges multiple labor law violations took place on the set of his upcoming show, saying the claims are "blown out of proportion."
On November 25, MrBeast shared a teaser for Beast Games on X. When the account for the entertainment news site Dexerto reshared the Beast Games teaser, one user commented: "Is this the same one where a lot of contestants complained of terrible conditions?"
MrBeast used the opportunity to address the allegations, replying: "We have tons of behind the scenes dropping when the show does to show how blown out of proportion these claims were. Just can't release it now because it would spoil the games."
While there has been much anticipation surrounding the new show, set to premiere on December 19, it has been embroiled in controversy. In September, the Los Angeles Superior Court accepted a class action lawsuit filed against MrBeast's companies and the production arm of Amazon. The suit involves five former participants in MrBeast's reality competition show and alleges multiple labor law violations, false advertising and unfair business practices.
Newsweek previously emailed a spokesperson for Amazon but didn't hear back.
Even though people think MrBeast will never hit a billion YouTube subscribers, MrBeast's popularity has continued to grow. Greg Selkoe, who previously served as president of esports and entertainment organization FaZe Clan, told Newsweek that this is because he's an "earnest, sincere, and authentic guy who wants to do the right thing and wants to learn and improve."
"MrBeast is an icon and pioneer in lifestyle and gaming-related content," Selkoe said. "Building a multibillion-dollar brand comes with inevitable challenges. What matters is how those challenges are addressed. His track record of bringing joy to fans, raising awareness for important causes, and contributing millions to charitable initiatives demonstrates the overall positive impact of his work."
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