MrBeast calls out Forbes after they revealed his shocking 'earnings' in top creator report

Having dominated YouTube and then taken Amazon in his stride, there are few as big in the content creator community than Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson. Having left his Minecraft Let's Plays behind years ago, Donaldson has grown his brand to be much more than a YouTube channel, boasting food ventures, hit TV series, and charitable organizations.

While many would love to know how much the most-subscribed man on YouTube earns, MrBeast has been careful not to reveal his fortune. There are multiple reports that Donaldson is a billionaire, while the man himself recently claimed he has less than $1 million in the bank. There have been supposed leaks of him earning $4 million a month in ad revenue alone, and he's also opened up about the shocking amount he earns from his side channels. We'll likely never know what Donaldson is really worth, especially as he claims his money goes back into expanding his MrBeast empire.

Still, he's taken issue with a recent Forbes report that named him as the highest-earning content creator of 2025. Even though the outlet claims he's pulled in $85 million, MrBeast says the math just ain't mathing.

Taking to X, he said: "99.9% sure they just make up numbers. That’s just not even remotely accurate lol."

Responding to Donaldson's retort, it's clear many thought he's actually earned far more than this.

One person said: "Now the real question is… are they over or under 😭✌️."

Another joked: "It’s WAY more right goat? 😂 btw you should send me like 0.01% of that money."

A third concluded: "Wait. Are you saying you’re more than that or below that? Talk the truth bro."

Discussing the supposedly booming bank balances of content creators, Eric Sheridan, Goldman Sachs’ co-head of Technology research, said: "The private funding environment for creators is as strong as I’ve ever seen.

"You’re seeing a lot of investments directly into creator brands, into creator companies, and into the private companies that enable creators with tools to build their businesses."

Even if Donaldson disagrees with Forbes' numbers, it's claimed that the top 50 creators across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube took in an estimated $853 million. This is an 18% jump from 2024’s already record-breaking year. Forbes noted that this doesn't include the millions nabbed from equity deals as the biggest names partner with other brands. Looking further ahead, Ryan Detert, the founder and CEO of creator marketing firm Influential, foreshadowed: "Next year, it’s expected that influencer marketing will expand to $50 billion. The dollars are going into the hands of creators who are now the new media channels."

The top 50 also boast a jaw-dropping 3.4 billion followers, which is up 24% from 2024. Goldman Sachs predicts that there are some 67 million creators around the world, with this expected to balloon to 107 million by 2030.

While we're sure there are many trying to be the 'next' MrBeast, his brand looks pretty untouchable for now. Donaldson might not agree with Forbes' figures, but we imagine he's pulled in a pretty penny in the last year.