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At 26, Jimmy Donaldson, aka “MrBeast”, is a heavyweight influencer whose YouTube account boasts 300 million subscribers. Last June, he became the world’s leading content creator on the video social network. MrBeast’s winning formula is a mix of gambling, chance and reality TV. It consists of huge donations or absurd challenge rewards thrown at candidates who are showered with tens of thousands of dollars.
The means deployed are colossal and the productions Hollywood. MrBeast’s principle is that popularity is proportional to the money spent. He created a kind of cyber potlatch, named after this Indian ritual where the chief burns his possessions in public, inspiring respect through this sacrifice.
When philanthropy hides a strategy
MrBeast’s gifts and rewards can range from boats to houses, gold bars as tips or even a private island worth $2 million. His career was written while an illness confined him to his home as a teenager. By spending hours in front of YouTube, he ended up on the other side of the camera. And quickly found success thanks to his knowledge of the tricks of the algorithm.
MrBeast now relies on a seasoned team that produces the shows in studios based in North Carolina with attention to detail and big resources. MrBeast is paid through advertising and product placement. He has also begun to monetize his own brand with all sorts of merchandise, including candy bars and a fast-food chain.
La Story is a podcast from Les Echos presented by Pierrick Fay. This episode was recorded in July 2024. Editor-in-chief: Clémence Lemaistre. Guest: Solveig Godeluck (correspondent from Les Echos in New York). Director: Willy Ganne. Music: Théo Boulenger. Graphic identity: Upian. Photo: Screenshot/MrBeast/Youtube. Sounds: Johnny Hallyday “L’idole des jeunes” (1962), MrBeast, Rémi Gaillard “Mario Kart” (2008), Jung Jaeil “Way Back then” (2021), “Kaamelott” (2005).
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