YouTube’s richest creator MrBeast is seeking a valuation. It could be setting a path for influencer-led businesses as the valuation is aiming for a 10-figure valuation. MrBeast is the fifth most subscribed creator on the media platform at 107 million subscribers. Forbes estimates that the creator, Jimmy Donaldson earns $54 million per year for his content alone. Donaldson is aiming to raise 150 million in a funding round.
The YouTuber is known for unleading daring and at times dangerous challenges on himself, his friends, and also strangers. They always come with eye-watering rich prizes. Among his videos, there are also pranks, elaborate stunts, and gaming. Additionally, he films his philanthropy where he gives away houses and cars to unsuspecting individuals.
The content in the videos is only part of his earnings. It now includes a food delivery business called MrBeast burgers, a physical restaurant for his burger chain. Also, a snack brand called Feastables. It is said that a Netflix show is in the works. All these ventures already have investments from various sources. Feastables reportedly made over $10 million in revenue in its first few months, while the YouTuber claimed on Twitter that his burger chain “has shared over $100 million in revenue with restaurants across America.”
Beast Burger has shared over $100 million in revenue with restaurants across America 🥰 (They keep most the rev from orders they fill for us)
— MrBeast (@MrBeast) July 14, 2022
Valuation
Donaldson wants to raise $150 million in the funding round for his YouTube channels. The valuation is at a much higher price. It would be the first institutional investment into Donaldson’s overall portfolio; Feastables separately raised $5 million in January at a $50 million valuation. If the fundraising goes successfully, it would be the first time a creator of his kind reaches such a high valuation. The company that owns the YouTube kids’ channel CoComelon, Moonbug Entertainment, was acquired for $3 billion by Candle Media in 2021. Across his five other channels, he’s amassed another 82 million subscribers and that’s not even counting his three Spanish language channels, which have about 33 million subscribers combined.
YouTube is one of the most profitable platforms for creators because you can earn 55% of ad revenue as a member of YouTube’s partner program. But MrBeast has expanded his business beyond the realm of social media — he has leveraged his brand to open up MrBeast Burger, a ghost kitchen food chain, and a snack company called Feastables, which raised $5 million this year at a $50 million valuation from 776, Shrug Capital and Sugar Capital. Interestingly, the company that manages MrBeast is Nigh Media. It raised $100 million as it teamed up with the Chernin Group to form Night Capital. It aims to boost creators by having them sell retail products to their communities.