MrBeast/YouTube
- Former employees of Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, have alleged that he created a "hostile work environment," according to the New York Times.
- Former editors for Donaldson told the New York Times that he was a "perfectionist" who made "unreasonable demands."
- Donaldson has over 60 million subscribers on his MrBeast YouTube channel.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Jimmy Donaldson, known as YouTuber MrBeast, has been accused by former employees of creating a toxic work environment. The New York Times reported that 11 people that worked for the YouTuber with over 61 million subscribers said that his "demeanor changed when the cameras weren't around" and "they described a difficult work environment."
Donaldson exploded in popularity over the past four years due to his philanthropic videos, where he donates hundreds of thousands of dollars to content creators or everyday people. His business ventures, like the MrBeast Burger that sold over a million meals in three months, and his highly successful line of merchandise continue to grow his brand. Stationing himself out of Greenville, North Carolina, Donaldson uses a mixture of hometown friends, fans, and influencers to help create his content.
"Working for a 22-year-old YouTube star isn't going to be the most professional work environment," Taylor Lorenz, the author of the Times story, told Insider. "But if you are posturing yourself as a business leader or the next Elon Musk, you should think about the type of work culture you're creating and what you are rewarding."
Nate Anderson, who edited for Donaldson for one week, told the NY Times that the YouTuber is a "perfectionist" and that he made "unreasonable demands." After releasing a now-deleted video about his time working with Donaldson, Anderson said that he received "death threats and hateful comments from Mr. Beast's dedicated fans."
Matt Turner, an editor for Donaldson from 2018 to 2019 told the NY Times that the content creator "had berated him almost every day" and "called him by a phrase used to insult people with mental disabilities… leaving him in tears." Turner also said that he wasn't credited for his work and when he would ask for it, Donaldson would "credit someone else"
Turner had spoken up about his time editing for Donaldson prior, posting a 2018 video explaining the allegations and writing on a new deleted Twitter thread in October 2019 that he was "yelled at, bullied, called mentally r--- and replaceable by MrBeast every single day." Turner also released a now-deleted YouTube video in 2019, sharing a story that Donaldson deleted the project file for a video he was editing because a compilation of clips of his philanthropy did not equal $500,000 for the title of the video.
"For a large portion of Gen Z that doesn't want to be creators themselves, working for a creator seems like an absolute dream job," Lorenz said. "But we see time and time again that these creators have basically little to no management experiences and behind the scenes can create a really hostile, stressful environment."
A representative for MrBeast reportedly declined to address the claims pertaining to working conditions published by the Times. MrBeast did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.