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MrBeast faced backlash after criticizing Rolling Stone for ranking Caleb Hearon above him on its digital creators list, sparking debate over what defines true online influence.
MrBeast faced backlash for mocking Rolling Stone’s creator rankings.
YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson, widely known as MrBeast, has come under criticism online after reacting to Rolling Stone’s latest ranking of digital creators. The magazine placed him at number seven, while comedian and actor Caleb Hearon ranked higher on the list, despite having a smaller social media following.
Donaldson expressed his frustration in a now-deleted post on X, writing: “According to this list, a guy with 1 million followers is more influential than me. What did I do to piss off Rolling Stone?” Screenshots of the post quickly circulated, prompting widespread reactions across social media platforms.
Critics argued that MrBeast appeared to undervalue Hearon’s influence beyond sheer follower counts. One X user commented, “Sorry, Jimmy, Caleb has something you’ll never have: a personality.” Another added, “MrBeast coming for Caleb Hearon is so funny because it’s like yeah, of course he’s more influential – he’s genuinely funny and likable.”
Supporters of Donaldson, however, defended the YouTube sensation’s standing in the digital space. Highlighting his more than 200 million subscribers, record-breaking video views, and large-scale philanthropic projects, fans contended that Rolling Stone had underestimated his global reach and cultural impact.
In the wake of the controversy, MrBeast posted a follow-up message on X, softening his initial critique. “Ngl, after this I watched some of his stuff and it’s actually good. I deleted the tweet. I don’t want the smoke from the shooters, spare me plz,” he wrote, acknowledging Hearon’s content.
James Stephen “Jimmy” Donaldson (born May 7, 1998), widely known by his online alias MrBeast, is an American YouTuber, media personality, and entrepreneur. He is best known for his high-production YouTube videos, which often feature elaborate challenges and large-scale philanthropic efforts. His channel has grown to over 419 million subscribers, making it the most-subscribed on YouTube. Donaldson is also the third-most-followed creator on TikTok, with more than 119 million followers.
Born in Wichita, Kansas, and raised in Greenville, North Carolina, Donaldson began posting videos to YouTube in early 2012 under the handle MrBeast6000. His early content included Let’s Plays and videos estimating the net worth of other YouTubers. He rose to widespread attention in 2017 when his video of him counting to 100,000 went viral, earning tens of thousands of views within days. Over time, his videos became increasingly ambitious, often featuring grand and extravagant concepts. As his channel expanded, Donaldson brought on childhood friends to help co-manage the brand. He also runs additional YouTube channels, including Beast Reacts (formerly BeastHacks), MrBeast Gaming, MrBeast 2 (formerly MrBeast Shorts), and the philanthropic channel Beast Philanthropy.
Beyond content creation, Donaldson has launched several business ventures. He is the founder of MrBeast Burger and Feastables and the co-founder of Team Trees, a fundraiser for the Arbor Day Foundation that has raised over $24 million, and Lunchly, a food and snack brand modeled after Lunchables. He also co-founded Team Seas, a campaign for Ocean Conservancy and The Ocean Cleanup, which has raised more than $30 million. Additionally, he created the reality competition series Beast Games.
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