Some successful entrepreneurs with multibillion-dollar businesses say they may look wealthy on paper, but a look at their bank accounts reveals they are actually cash-poor. Social media mogul Jimmy Donaldson, who goes by the nickname “MrBeast,” has 460 million followers on YouTube. He claimed that despite running a $5 billion entertainment empire, he was as bankrupt as everyone else.
“I’m borrowing money. That’s all I have,” Donaldson told reporters. wall street journal earlier this month. “Technically, if you subtract the equity value of my company, everyone watching this video has more money than me and their bank account, which isn’t going to buy me McDonald’s in the morning.”
The 27-year-old entrepreneur said that despite being a billionaire and owning more than half of his $5 billion company Beast Industries, he keeps less than $1 million for himself. In addition to his nine-figure Amazon deal and popular YouTube channel with 107 billion views, Donaldson has joined the club of the ultra-rich (at least on paper) through numerous successful businesses. The businesses he founded include Feastables, a multi-million dollar chocolate brand; Lunch, a lunch-like packaged food; MrBeast Burger, a pickup-only virtual restaurant; and MrBeast LLC, a production company that helps create his viral videos.
Through his assets, Donaldson is estimated to be worth at least $2.6 billion, although he stresses it’s not a huge pile of cash burning a hole in his pocket. Forbes It is also estimated that his annual income between April 2024 and April 2025 reaches $85 million, a far cry from the typical annual salary in the United States of $62,088. However, that doesn’t mean he splurges on luxury items and only flies on private jets. Donaldson claimed he was actually at a loss.
“It’s funny talking about my personal finances because no one believes anything I say,” Donaldson explained. “They said, ‘You’re a billionaire!’ I thought, ‘That’s the net worth. “My money is negative now.”
“I wake up and I just work…I’m just so busy working that I don’t really think about my personal bank account,” Donaldson continued. “I’m just focused on making the best videos possible and growing the business as much as possible.”
Donaldson earned eight figures and ran a $5 billion business, yet still claimed bankruptcy. So where did all his money go? The YouTube star said he immediately jumped back into his business venture.
“I personally have very little money because I reinvest everything (I think we’re going to spend about $2.5 billion on content this year). Ironically, I actually borrowed dollars from my mom to pay for my upcoming wedding,” Donaldson wrote on X in response to a post claiming he was the only billionaire under 30 who didn’t inherit wealth.
