It's interesting to see how one person can build such a huge empire from scratch. I recently looked into how much MrBeast earns, and the numbers are simply shocking. Donaldson has held the position of the highest-paid YouTuber on the planet for two consecutive years. In 2021, he earned approximately $54 million from video content, and Forbes predicted that his income could jump to $110 million the following year. Journalists estimated his total net worth at half a billion dollars, even without considering potential growth.

What I find especially interesting is his approach to business. The guy says that the chances of becoming a billionaire increase when you don't even set that as a goal. You just need to focus on creating a truly cool company. And indeed, his empire looks impressive. MrBeast is so successful that he has even been invited to give lectures at Harvard Business School.

Content studio — that’s the foundation of everything. He doesn’t just run one channel but a whole network of projects. The main channel, MrBeast, has 142 million subscribers, but there’s also Beast Gaming with 32 million, Beast Reacts with 22 million, MrBeast Shorts, Beast Philanthropy, MrBeast 2. All these projects operate out of Greenville, the town where Donaldson grew up. That’s where his studio is located, which is constantly expanding. Currently, about 50 people work there — scriptwriters, editors, assistants. Many of them are his friends and family members who, even in the very early years of the channel, discussed plans to conquer YouTube.

But that’s just the beginning. How much MrBeast earns becomes even clearer when you look at his side projects. In December 2020, he launched MrBeast Burger — a fast-food restaurant chain. Initially, it was just one location in Greenville with free food, but on the first day, cars lined up for more than 30 km. Now, the chain has grown to over 300 locations in the U.S. and is expanding to other countries. The trick is that these are virtual restaurants — you place an order through an app, and it’s prepared in partner cafes. Within three months of opening, they sold over a million burgers. In August 2022, he even opened his first real offline restaurant.

Another source of income is Feastables snacks. MrBeast Bar chocolate and MrBeast Cookies are sold online and in Walmart supermarkets. The launch in January 2022 was marked by a giveaway with cash prizes and a contest with golden tickets hidden inside chocolates. Finalists were judged by Gordon Ramsay himself, and the winner received a chocolate factory. In the first few months, Feastables earned over $10 million from snacks. When you analyze how much MrBeast earns, you realize he’s not just a YouTuber — he’s a true entrepreneur who knows how to monetize his brand in every possible direction.