YouTube star MrBeast planning investment round that could value company at $5bn

The world’s biggest YouTube star, MrBeast, is planning to raise hundreds of millions of dollars in a move that would reportedly value his company at roughly $5bn (£3.9bn).

The YouTuber, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, is said to have spoken with several wealthy individuals and financial firms about taking part in the investment round.

He is reportedly planning to use the money to create a holding company for his growing empire, which includes a video production company, his chocolates brand Feastables and snack business Lunchly. The funds could also expand his media and packaged goods businesses, according to Bloomberg, which already generated more than $400m in sales last year.

Talks over the potential fundraising are still in early stages and it is not yet clear who would invest and at what price. It would not be his first fundraising round – he previously clinched investment from firms including the New York-based Alpha Wave Global.

If he is successful, fresh funding would help to further expand Donaldson’s business. He is already the biggest YouTuber in the world with more than 368 million subscribers to his channel.

The 26-year-old from Wichita, Kansas, is mostly known for videos consisting of stunts or challenges, or giveaways of cash or prizes. One of his most popular viral videos recreated the sets from the Netflix series Squid Game at a cost of $3.5m; he invited 456 people to compete in challenges to win $456,000 in prize money.

He has since launched a reality competition show – Beast Games – through Amazon, which became the streaming platform’s most watched unscripted show last month.

Like many YouTubers, Donaldson started off posting videos in his bedroom, joining the video platform in 2012. He has since launched food brands including Feastables and MrBeast burgers, which have been distributed through “ghost kitchens” used by food delivery companies in locations across the US, UK and Australia.

He reportedly makes tens of millions of dollars a year, has a philanthropic organisation, and is generally seen as a positive influence on YouTube – investing much of what he makes back into his videos, as well as charitable efforts.

However, his work has not come without criticism. He has a history of homophobic comments as a teenager, and he faced complaints about being a hard taskmaster to employees.

Some have also criticised his videos as “poverty porn”, arguing people only benefited – through cash, other prizes or gifts – because they featured in his content. This was most pointed when he was aiming to fund 1,000 people to get cataract surgery to restore their sight. However, those efforts were also praised by charities.