Mr. Beast doesn’t want you to watch his YouTube videos anymore

Since the start of 2026, Donaldson has uploaded a handful of YouTube videos, all with heightened premises, screaming introductions, or small fortunes dangled in front of desperate ordinary people. But his first video of the year, where 30 celebrities ‘fight’ for over a million dollars, is the best encapsulation of where Mr. Beast fits in the current cultural landscape. The high-gloss video is a tone-deaf cry for legitimacy from a personality in the throes of an identity crisis. Donaldson may have started on YouTube, and his massive success may have molded the video service in his image. But ten years into his career as an influencer, Donaldson seems desperate to leave YouTube behind.