You know, it's interesting to observe how people make money from content. Here's MrBeast — on a whole different level. A couple of years ago, this guy was the highest-paid YouTuber on the planet. Back then, his annual income was estimated at around $54 million, and Forbes predicted that MrBeast could earn up to $110 million next year. At the same time, his total net worth was estimated at half a billion.

But what really impresses is not just the income figures. Donaldson has built an entire empire. He doesn't just have one channel, but a whole network: the main MrBeast with 142 million subscribers, then Beast Gaming with 32 million, Beast Reacts, MrBeast Shorts, Beast Philanthropy — each with tens of millions of viewers. All of this is produced in his studio in Greenville, where he grew up. About 50 people work there — writers, editors, assistants. Many of them are his old friends and relatives.

And then he decided that videos are not everything. He opened a chain of MrBeast Burger restaurants. I remember, in 2020, he launched the first location with free food — the line of cars stretched for 30 kilometers. Then he came up with a virtual restaurant scheme through an app, and in three months, he sold over a million burgers. Now, the chain has more than 300 locations in the U.S.

Then there are Feastables snacks — chocolates and cookies sold at Walmart. For the launch in 2022, he held a giveaway with Gordon Ramsay, hiding golden tickets in the packages. In the first few months, he sold over $10 million worth.

The funniest part is that Donaldson himself says you shouldn't focus on becoming a billionaire. You just need to focus on making your company cool. And it works. The guy even gave lectures at Harvard Business School. That’s an example of how much MrBeast earns and why — it’s not just about content, but also smart expansion into related businesses.