Insights into the scandal facing King of YouTube

Half a billion fans, a personal fortune of several million dollars and a global business empire.

It would take a lot to dethrone YouTube's biggest influencer Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast.

But a 54-page court document could be his toughest test yet.

Five female candidates for the upcoming Prime Video show Beast Games are Initiation of legal action against his production company MrB2024 and Amazon in Los Angeles.

Billed as the biggest reality competition series ever, 1,000 contestants will compete for a $5 million (£3.7 million) prize when the show airs – or if it airs at all. The legal battle has plunged the show into crisis.

In addition to numerous redacted pages, the legal document also contains allegations that they had “suffered particularly and collectively” in an environment in which “a culture of misogyny and sexism had been systematically promoted.”

It gets to the heart of MrBeast's image as one of the nicest guys on the internet.

I have leafed through the document, which states that participants were “malnourished and overtired.” Meals were provided “sporadically and sparsely,” which, it says, put the participants' “health and well-being” at risk.

In a section that keeps almost all of the allegations secret from the public, it says the defendants “created, permitted and encouraged a culture, pattern and practice of sexual harassment, including in the form of a hostile work environment.”

In August The New York Times spoke to more than a dozen of the show's (as yet unpublished) contestants and reported that there were “multiple hospitalizations” on set, with one person telling the newspaper that they had gone over 20 hours without food.

Participants also reported not receiving their medications on time.

The BBC has contacted MrBeast and Amazon – he has not yet commented publicly.

Will these recent allegations damage the popularity of the King of YouTube?

Controversy is nothing new for MrBeast this year – and he has managed to emerge unscathed each time.

In July, the 26-year-old American said he had hired investigators after his former co-host Ava Kris Tyson accused of fermenting a teenager.

Ava denied the allegations but apologized for her “past behavior” which was “unacceptable.”

MrBeast said he was “disgusted” by the “serious allegations”.

Further allegations of business practices later emerged on an anonymous YouTube channel claiming to be a former employee. The BBC has not been able to independently verify the claims or the identity of this individual.

Some of his philanthropic efforts – such as building wells in Africa and funding surgeries for people with visual and hearing impairments – have drawn criticism for exploitation.

“Deaf people like me deserve better than MrBeast’s latest inspiration porn.” one person told the Independent last year.

But his empire continues to grow. One day before the lawsuit was announced on Wednesday, he announced a collaboration with other well-known faces KSI and Logan Paul – a new food line that is intended to compete with Lunchables.

And as I wrote in an article about his meteoric rise last yearhe earned his millions through hard work.

His videos are big-budget experiences. His most popular – 652 million views – Recreate the Netflix hit “Squid Game” in real life with prize money of USD 456,000 (£342,000).

Most of his charitable activities are less controversial – including giving away houses, cash and cars – but have earned him a good-guy image online.

According to his website, he has delivered over 25 million meals to those in need worldwide.

People continue to flock to his social channels. In June, he gained enough subscribers to YouTube channel the largest in the world.

Accordingly Statistics Checker SocialbladeMrBeast has gained five million additional subscribers in the last 30 days alone.

This is just a metric. We can't say, for example, how many people unsubscribed from their channel.

What is certain, however, is that the number of people who have consciously decided to stop watching his videos is exceeded by the number of those who have decided to subscribe.

He wouldn't be the only YouTuber to maintain popularity despite controversy. Others have had to weather far more violent storms than MrBeast, and few have faced any real consequences beyond a public apology.

Logan Paul faced massive criticism in 2018 after uploading a video to his 15 million subscribers showing the body of a person who had apparently taken his own life.

After removing the original video, He apologized in less than two minutes with the simple title: “I’m so sorry.”

He now has 23 million subscribers, owns an incredibly popular sports drink, was WWE United States Champion until August, and has competed in numerous pay-per-view boxing matches.

Other well-known YouTubers such as Pewdiepie, James Charles and Jeffree Star were also responsible for controversy but were able to continue their careers after uploading apology videos.

A more modern example is Herschel “Guy” Beahm, known online as Dr Disrespect, who admitted to sending messages to “a single minor” in 2017.

He stressed that “nothing illegal happened, no images were shared, no crimes were committed” and went offline for two months after publishing the statement.

His comeback livestream earlier this month was viewed over three million times, despite criticism from other well-known streamers.

Dr Disrespect remains the second most watched streamer in the US this year. according to Streams Charts.

The point is: YouTubers are easily forgiven.

As MrBeast's fan base continues to grow, controversy is brewing again – and his next move could determine his long-term success.

James Lunn, head of strategy at Savvy Marketing, says the star is in an “incredibly unique position” with his “multi-layered” brand that spans many industries.

“We are truly in uncharted waters,” he says, and “a proactive approach that addresses the issues transparently and ensures accountability could protect his brand.”

Brand expert Catherine Shuttleworth said the “sheer scale” of MrBeast's fame could act as a buffer against backlash, but the latest legal battle could be difficult.

“His business ventures, particularly those aimed at families and children – like Feastables chocolate bars or Lunchly – are a different story,” she says.

“Parents, who often have the purchasing power, tend to be less tolerant of controversies regarding safety, fairness and ethics.”

When I wrote about MrBeast in August 2023, I predicted that he would soon take the YouTube crown, even though he only had half as many subscribers at the time.

As his fame grows, he now faces additional challenges, and much of the internet is eagerly awaiting his response to what is, so far, only one side of a complex story.