Let's figure out how much money MrBeast has and how he managed to build such a huge empire. The guy from Greenville has been leading the list of the highest-paid YouTubers on the planet for two consecutive years, and it's not just by chance.

In 2021, Donaldson earned approximately $54 million just from videos. Forbes predicted that the next year's income could jump to $110 million. Journalists estimated his total wealth at $500 million. Moreover, in 2022, he is even seeking investors willing to buy a stake in his content studio. If the deal goes through, the value of his main asset would be estimated at $1.5 billion. Interestingly, Donaldson himself isn't fixated on becoming a billionaire. He says that the chances increase precisely when you don't prioritize that goal. The main thing is to focus on making your company truly awesome.

How does he do it? Let's start with the content studio. MrBeast isn't limited to just one channel. He has several projects: the main channel MrBeast with 142 million subscribers, Beast Gaming with 32 million, Beast Reacts and MrBeast 2 with 21.5 million each, Beast Philanthropy with 12.6 million, and MrBeast Shorts with 21.5 million. All of this is produced in Greenville, where he grew up. There is a studio there, which is now being expanded to three major centers. Donaldson hopes that over time, this place will become a media hub, attracting other content creators. Currently, about 50 people work there — scriptwriters, editors, assistants. Many of them are his friends and family members, with whom he planned to conquer YouTube back in the early years.

But that's not all. In December 2020, he decided to open a fast-food restaurant chain. He first rented a snack bar in Greenville and organized free food giveaways. Burgers, fries, desserts, drinks. On opening day, the car line stretched over 30 km. Now, MrBeast Burger has more than 300 locations across the US and several abroad. The genius is that these are virtual restaurants — orders only through the app, prepared in partner cafes. In three months after launch, they sold over a million burgers. And in August 2022, he opened the first full offline restaurant.

Then he launched the Feastables snack line. He sells MrBeast Bar chocolate and MrBeast Cookies through the internet and Walmart. In January 2022, he held a huge giveaway with cash prizes, hiding golden tickets in chocolates. Finalists prepared desserts judged by Gordon Ramsay, and the winner received a Willy Wonka-style chocolate factory. In the first few months, Feastables sold snacks worth over $10 million.

That’s how MrBeast’s money grows. Not just videos on YouTube, but a full-fledged media empire with multiple streams of income. And all this while the guy was even giving lectures at Harvard Business School. An interesting story about how the right focus and scalable thinking turn content into a real business.