DealBook Summit MrBeast Isn’t Looking for Controversy
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Dec 4, 2025 Jimmy Donaldson, famously known as MrBeast, shares his journey from early YouTube days to becoming a viral sensation, highlighting his obsession with studying virality and the power of the YouTube algorithm. He discusses the importance of creating positive, universally relatable content and the ethics behind his business practices, including tackling child labor issues in chocolate sourcing. Alongside Jeff Housenbold, they explore growing Beast Industries, avoiding controversy, and using their platform to inspire meaningful change globally.
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Studying Virality Became A Strategy
- Jimmy Donaldson studied virality obsessively for years to learn why some videos get huge viewership and others don't.
- He focused on storytelling and algorithm signals to create universally appealing content.
Early Stunts And Scheduled Uploads
- Jimmy scheduled videos years ahead as a teenager and still has uploads set decades into the future.
- He once counted to 100,000 for 40 hours in an early attention‑getting stunt.
Make Concepts Universally Relatable
- To reach global audiences, Jimmy builds concepts with intrinsic human appeal rather than local cultural references.
- Universal emotions and simple high‑concept premises scale across countries and languages.