Jimmy Donaldson better known as MrBeast, the world’s most-subscribed-to YouTuber might be preparing his most surprising venture yet: launching a phone service. According to a leaked investor deck obtained by Business Insider, Donaldson’s company is exploring a plan to launch a mobile network by 2026.
At first glance, it sounds like an outrageous leap, even for a creator who routinely gives away islands, cars, and stacks of cash for views. But a closer look shows a business plan that makes a lot of sense in today’s telecom world.
No, MrBeast won’t be digging trenches and putting up cell towers across the United States. Instead, the leaked materials suggest a more efficient approach: creating a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO).
MVNOs don’t own network infrastructure; they essentially lease it from major carriers like Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile. In exchange, the MVNO sells access under its own brand, often with unique pricing, plans, or perks that appeal to specific customer groups.
This shortcut has already proven successful in celebrity hands. Ryan Reynolds’ Mint Mobile became a standout example of how a clever marketing approach and competitive pricing could carve out a strong niche in a brutal industry. That playbook ultimately resulted in T-Mobile acquiring Mint Mobile in 2023 in a deal worth up to $1.35 billion.
Donaldson appears to be studying the same model closely but with far greater reach than Reynolds ever had.
Leveraging a Massive Built-In Audience
If Donaldson’s YouTube audience were a country, it would be among the largest in the world. With over 400 million subscribers across multiple channels, Beast Industries already has a direct line to hundreds of millions of potential customers.
And Donaldson has proven again and again that he knows how to convert fans into buyers. His ventures span chocolate bars (Feastables), fast-moving consumer goods (Lunchly, a Lunchables competitor), and even toys, all riding on his ability to package products as part of a larger fan experience.
With a phone company, the math gets interesting quickly. Even if just 1% of his subscribers signed up for a hypothetical “Beast Mobile,” that would amount to 4 million users, a customer base that most MVNOs would dream of.
The Business Advantage: Outsourcing the Hard Parts
Telecom is notoriously complex. Billing, customer service, technical support, and regulatory compliance can quickly overwhelm newcomers. But as MVNO consultant Alex Besen explained to Business Insider, carriers like T-Mobile and Verizon already offer turnkey MVNO solutions that handle the heavy lifting.
That means Donaldson’s company wouldn’t need to build or run the technical backbone of a network. Instead, he could focus on what he does best: marketing at a massive scale. Viral ads, wild promotions, and creative pricing could all set Beast Mobile apart from competitors.
As Besen put it: “The ultimate objective is to focus on the marketing and sales and outsource everything to a third party.”
But as promising as it sounds, a MrBeast-branded phone service would face some very real challenges. The telecom industry is not forgiving. Customers might sign up initially for novelty or loyalty, but network reliability, pricing, and customer service ultimately determine whether they stay.
Ryan Reynolds succeeded with Mint Mobile by ensuring the product wasn’t just a celebrity vanity project. Mint’s combination of competitive pricing, solid performance, and cheeky marketing made it a genuine alternative to traditional carriers.
Donaldson’s challenge will be ensuring Beast Mobile or whatever it ends up being called doesn’t rely solely on his personal brand. A poor service plan can’t be fixed with even the biggest YouTube audience.
Timing and Priority: Still in Early Stages
According to sources familiar with Beast Industries’ plans, the telecom venture is not yet a top priority. The leaked investor deck reportedly outlines 2026 as a target launch window, suggesting that the company is in the exploratory phase rather than actively preparing for an imminent rollout.
Still, the fact that such materials exist shows that Donaldson and his team are seriously evaluating the opportunity. They’re asking the right questions: Which carrier partner offers the best deal? How can pricing stand out in a competitive market? What unique perks would resonate with a young, global audience?
If successful, Beast Mobile could open a new frontier for creators-turned-business-moguls. We’ve already seen YouTubers build empires from merch, products, and events but a working, widely-used phone service would represent something entirely new.
For Donaldson, whose content thrives on spectacle and scale, telecom could become both a lucrative business and a powerful extension of his brand. Imagine subscribers getting exclusive video drops, giveaways, or even contests tied directly to their mobile plans. The possibilities are as wild as MrBeast’s next stunt.
The idea of MrBeast running a phone company might sound absurd at first, but in the context of modern telecom and creator-driven business, it’s less far-fetched than it appears. The infrastructure exists, the audience is there, and the precedent has been set by other celebrities who’ve turned MVNOs into major exits.
Whether Beast Mobile becomes a revolutionary telecom brand or a fascinating footnote will depend on execution.
