MrBeast

Donaldson was diagnosed with Crohn's disease at age 15, an autoimmune condition causing digestive tract inflammation that led him to stop playing competitive youth sports and adhere to a strict diet. He was raised primarily in Greenville, North Carolina, by his mother, Susan Parisher, alongside his older brother CJ and a younger sister.

He dated Maddy Spidell from 2019 to 2022. Donaldson began dating South African author and streamer Thea Booysen in 2022, proposing to her on Christmas Day in 2024. The couple married in July 2026 on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands.

Born in Wichita, Kansas, Donaldson spent his childhood moving frequently due to his mother's military service. He graduated from Greenville Christian Academy in 2016 and briefly enrolled in higher education before leaving to dedicate himself entirely to video production.

He created his YouTube channel in February 2012 under the username MrBeast6000 at age 13, initially posting gameplay commentary and analysis of online creator statistics. In January 2017, he earned his breakthrough viral hit with a video showing him counting to 100,000, which took roughly 40 hours to complete. He soon expanded his production team by hiring close friends to form his recurring on-screen crew.

Donaldson established a distinct format characterized by endurance challenges, massive scavenger hunts, and substantial cash awards. In November 2021, he gained widespread global attention with "$456,000 Squid Game in Real Life!", a detailed real-world adaptation of the South Korean television drama involving 456 contestants.

Through rapid channel growth, he surpassed PewDiePie in late 2022 as the most-subscribed individual creator on YouTube. In June 2024, his channel overtook T-Series to become the most-subscribed channel on the entire platform, subsequently becoming the first creator to reach 300 million, 400 million, and 500 million subscribers.

In October 2019, Donaldson partnered with YouTuber Mark Rober to create Team Trees, a collaborative initiative that raised more than $24 million to plant trees in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation. The pair followed this effort in October 2021 with Team Seas, raising over $30 million for Ocean Conservancy and The Ocean Cleanup to remove marine plastic and debris. In August 2025, they launched Team Water, raising over $40 million to provide clean water access in conjunction with WaterAid.

Alongside collaborative initiatives, Donaldson established the Beast Philanthropy channel in September 2020. Managed by executive director Darren Margolias, the organization uses advertising revenue and sponsorships to fund food banks, build water wells, supply school technology, and sponsor life-changing medical procedures around the globe.

Outside YouTube, Donaldson expanded into consumer products and physical businesses under Beast Industries. In December 2020, he introduced MrBeast Burger, a virtual restaurant concept operating through partner kitchens. In January 2022, he launched Feastables, a snack company producing chocolate bars, and in September 2024, he partnered with Logan Paul and KSI to introduce the Lunchly snack kit line.

Donaldson transitioned into television by creating and executive producing the reality competition series Beast Games for Amazon Prime Video, which premiered in December 2024 featuring 1,000 contestants competing for a record-breaking $5 million cash prize. He has also made voice acting appearances in feature animated films, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and Kung Fu Panda 4.