BEAST MODE: After nearly a decade scaling the heights of social media stardom, Jimmy Donaldson's creative videos keep thrilling millions.

• Author: Harff, Noelle Norene

The American dream changes with every generation. One generation found opportunity on trans-Atlantic ship. Another laid claim to a new land. For those willing to explore, opportunity still exists. It's not across continents, but it connects them; it's the internet. Greenville's 24-year-old Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, has actualized this new American dream.

Tens of millions around the world subscribe to his YouTube channel, leading to $54 million in revenue in 2021, Forbes estimates. He is widely viewed as among the highest-earning individuals on the Google-owned platform.

When asked to imagine a YouTuber, one would picture a boyish dude inhabiting his mom's basement, sporting pizza-stained sweatpants and an immature attitude. Others might envision a bleach-blonde dancing to Billboard's Top 100, vlogging her Starbucks drink of the week.

Well, that's kinda wrong.

After hours of interviews and research, I have ascertained only ironies in the world of YouTube. MrBeast is the poster child of this paradox. To be successful in the business, you must be persistent, creative, driven, and smart.

Donaldson started uploading videos under his screen name, MrBeast6000, in 2014. He has a high school diploma from Greenville Christian Academy and relies heavily on four other 20-something guys to film and take part in many of his videos. With his multimillion-dollar income, Donaldson could live anywhere, but chooses to stay in Greenville.

He told podcast interviewer Sam Parr last year that he resides in his Greenville studio. "I like money because I can hire more people and grow a business, but not so I can increase my lifestyle."

With 128 million subscribers and more than 21 billion page views on his channel, MrBeast is an internet force. His subscribers maintain a loyalty that cable networks such as CNN and Fox News and streaming services like Hulu and Disney-I- would love to match.

Donaldson racks up hundreds of millions of views by creating both crazy challenges and over-the-top philanthropic giveaways to his fans and those in need. Cited as YouTube's biggest philanthropist, his videos are wholesome, controversy-free, and targeted at a wide range of viewers.

A participant won a $2.5 million Hawker 800 jet in MrBeast's video, "Last to Take Hand Off Jet, Keeps It." The 15-minute video, which debuted last November, attracted more than 132 million views as 11 contestants did what the title says. Donaldson began the challenge with only one rule: No pushing.

In his most viral video, "456,000 Squid Games," Donaldson spent $3.5 million recreating Netflix's hit series about a South Korean survival drama involving post-apocalyptic children's games. He gave away almost half a million dollars to the winner and $ 1,000 to each of456 participants. The video, which didn't contain the savagery of the Netflix show, launched in November 2021 and garnered more than 380 million views. By comparison, this year's Super Bowl drew 113 million viewers.

MrBeast's popularity comes from both his creative content, and his extreme altruism. In January, he paid for cataract...