The biggest name in online content creation, Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson, is in damage control mode after a series of alleged scandals threatened to jeopardize his algorithmically optimized YouTube brand. He recently promised employees a full investigation into the company’s culture and Current complaints of injuries and abuse in some of his biggest stunt videos.
According to an internal memo first reported by APDonaldson announced earlier this week that there would be a “full assessment” of his business empire, which includes productions for elaborate YouTube videos as well as licensed food products such as cookies and a chain of burger restaurants. “As your leader, I accept responsibility and am committed to continuing to improve and evolve my leadership style,” he wrote. “I recognize that I must also create a culture where all of our employees feel safe and can do their best work.”
That assessment includes hiring a human resources manager and investigating recent allegations that contestants on his new game show were mistreated during filming. The New York Times reported that contestants on his new $5 million reality game show on Amazon Prime were not provided with proper nutrition or medical care following alleged incidents related to unsafe working conditions.
The memo also revealed that Donaldson had hired outside law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan to investigate the conduct of his former colleague Ava Kris Tyson, who was accused in July of sending sexually inappropriate messages to minors. Donaldson called the behavior “unacceptable” in a statement last month when the two amicably parted ways.
The YouTuber was also recently in crisis mode because of his own behavior in the past, after Critics appeared clips of him using homophobic slurs and making racist remarks during early video game livestreams when he was about 18 years old. In another incident, he joked about having sex with then-14-year-old rapper Bhad Bhabie. “When Jimmy was a teenager, he acted like many kids and used inappropriate language while trying to be funny,” a spokesperson for Donaldson told the AP last month.
Before the recent controversies, YouTube channel MrBeast was best known for his viral videos surrounding major charity events such as digging freshwater wells. for residents in Uganda and wild stunts like Trains drive into huge pits. It is also known for Donaldson’s ruthless manipulation of the platform’s algorithmwhich includes an obsession with his iconic YouTube thumbnails to maximize views and engagement.
“People shouldn’t be like me,” he said in a 2023 podcast“I have no life, I have no personality.”
