MrBeast reveals he doesn't make any money from YouTube content despite spending $120,000,000 in one year
MrBeast spends an absolute bomb on his YouTube videos, totalling an eye-watering $120 million this year. But he doesn't make any profit.
The YouTuber - known for his extravagant, high-quality video productions - recently gave an insight into how much money he invests in each video, and how he covers his astronomical costs.
Earlier this year, MrBeast - whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson - claimed the title as the most subscribed channel on YouTube, with over 300 million followers on his page.
He now employs over 200 people and revealed in an interview with fellow YouTuber Jon Youshaei that he dropped around $120 million in just one year on his content, so you might be surprised to find out how much he earns himself.
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Shockingly, Donaldson disclosed that he actually doesn’t make anything from his YouTube videos, despite his latest video racking up 117 million views in the last two days.
Discussing his different streams of cash flow, Donaldson said in the interview: “So, we’re talking revenue, obviously not profit because I don't even know if we'll make money this year… but for revenue over half of it will be Feastables.”
The line of chocolate bars has been very popular among MrBeast fans, so it’s no surprise that it’s a big earner for Donaldson.
He went on to say that companies have offered him 'tens of millions of dollars' to sponsor his content but he refuses if it doesn’t feel like 'a right fit'.
The YouTuber also revealed that videos tend to cost him around $4 million to produce as he hires warehouses and studios for his large-scale projects.
And he has to rely on sponsorship and brand deals, saying it's 'the only way' he can 'keep the lights on'.
He said: "The total cost of everything is $4 million to get [each] video out the door and if I don't have a brand deal on it, I'm not making $4 million in ad revenue."
He went on to explain why he’s cautious to reveal his costs, saying: “I don't want to say it because the problem is it always goes up and then the people who hear this will be like, ‘Oh, well Jimmy's overcharging us, we're getting screwed,' but I need more to be able to afford my videos so because my video costs keep going up.”
As to why he chooses to reinvest pretty much every dollar he makes into his YouTube videos rather than taking a profit, he says it's really an act of incredible self belief.
He told Time Magazine earlier this year: "I’ve reinvested everything to the point of—you could claim—stupidity, just believing that we would succeed. And it’s worked out."
Ever dedicated to his YouTube career, Donaldson previously revealed job candidates who don't show enough enthusiasm for a career on the social media platform will be shown the door.
In an interview with podcaster Lex Fridman, he said: “There's people that will come on and you'll ask 'em, ‘What do you wanna be doing in five years?’ And instead of saying, ‘Oh, I want to be working on this channel,’ they'll be like, ‘Oh, I hope to be working on movies,’ or this or that.
"And they see working on a YouTube channel as a launchpad to go into traditional, and it's like, ‘No, you just don't get it’.
“This is the end goal. This is your career. And so, I'm just so tired of having those kinds of conversations.”
He went on to say that if a candidate doesn’t answer the question about future work with ‘making content on YouTube’, then he won’t hire them.
“If their answer is anything like movies or traditional stuff like that, it's just a hell no,” he warned.
MrBeast’s most recent upload was dubbed as his 'biggest video ever' which saw 50 YouTubers go head to head for a chance to win $1 million for their subscribers.
The winner, JaidenAnimations, revealed how she planned to spend the cash for her followers, saying: “It's hard for a lot of artists out there. I'd really like to send a lot of them to art school.”