One of the most popular YouTubers in the world is a tall, rather awkward 25-year-old from North Carolina called Jimmy Donaldson, better known to his fans as. He has more online followers than Elon Musk, makes millions of dollars in ad revenue and wants to turn his devoted subscriber base into a business. But swapping virtual fame for the real world is tricky.
Yet his comment section glows with respect. Under a video of him sitting in a chair and counting to 10,000, one viewer wrote “This is hardwork and dedication at its finest! His patience and mental fortitude is beyond; don’t know how or where he gets the motivation.”The question for Donaldson and other online stars is what comes next. Even the most successful content creator lives at the mercy of social media company algorithms, moderators and the vicissitudes of digital advertising.
MrBeast videos are a model of the genre: not too long and opened with explainers that are useful for viewers with wavering attention spans.He likes to get other famous YouTubers involved too. Recently, Felix Kjellberg – aka PewDiePie – joined him on a rollercoaster in Japan. Celebrity-run businesses are not new. In the late ’90s, David Bowie issued asset-backed securities based on revenues from his albums. George Clooney used to sell tequila. Rihanna has a make-up line.