MrBeast’s $100M Amazon reality show may succeed despite controversy. But it could come back to haunt him.

MrBeast is the world’s most popular YouTuber.

MrBeast confirmed this week that his upcoming Amazon show, Beast Games, had cost more than $100 million.

The reality competition, announced by Amazon in March, is expected to offer 1,000 participants the chance to win a $5 million cash prize — believed to be the biggest in TV history.

It was supposed to kick-start Amazon’s video ad sales efforts, attracting a wide audience and advertiser appeal.

But it quickly became mired in controversies.

As well as complaints from contestants about inadequate living conditions, some have also said they were injured, not given access to hygiene products and medical care, and subjected to sexism.

Creator economy experts told B-17 that “Beast Games” is not going anywhere despite the negative headlines. But they warned that the top YouTuber may find it harder to fund his next big project.

“They’ll still do partnerships with him,” Diana D’Angelo, the CEO of Breaking Creatives Agency, told B-17. “But maybe they’ll put a bigger check on what he’s actually doing and how it’s being done.”

A $100 million show

During an interview on the “Impaulsive” podcast, Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson told fellow YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul that the show had already broken more than 40 world records.

Paul said he heard Donaldson had a budget of $100 million for the show, to which Donaldson replied, “That’s what the headlines said.”

“But yes, I also spent way more than $100 million,” he said. He didn’t clarify if this was spent on one season, but the show has only been commissioned for one so far.

The move is in line with Amazon’s strategy of increasing spending on entertainment and sports content.

The company is thought to have increased its spending on these categories from $1.7 billion to $13.6 billion this year, Reuters reported.

Donaldson added that $20 million went on prizes alone while $15 million was spent on building a “walled-in city” for the contestants to live in.

He also said he had lost “tens of millions of dollars.” A spokesperson didn’t clarify how much of that money was from Amazon and how much Donaldson was funding himself.

Expensive but beset by problems

The cost of the show isn’t the only thing to have made headlines.

It has already been controversial, with some contestants telling Rolling Stone and The New York Times they were not provided with sufficient food or medical care during the first round in Las Vegas, where they lived in a stadium. Some said they suffered injuries.

Five unnamed contestants filed a lawsuit against Donaldson and Amazon to a Los Angeles court in September. The lawsuit alleges pay issues, sexual harassment, and a “toxic and hostile” workplace.

Amazon declined to comment on the lawsuit. A spokesperson for Donaldson told B-17 that the lawsuit had not yet been served to him despite being filed two weeks ago. They also said Amazon was not involved in the Las Vegas round of the show, which was “a promotional video shoot.”

They added, however, that given the scale of Beast Games, the number of issues and injuries was not significant compared to other shows.

They said that Donaldson is committed to making improvements and doing things the right way as the show continues.

A spokesperson previously told Rolling Stone that this shoot was “unfortunately complicated by the CrowdStrike incident, extreme weather, and other unexpected logistical and communications issues.”

Contestants also told Rolling Stone that conditions improved greatly once the competition continued in Toronto with the remaining 1,000 competitors.

Dodging the negativity

Robyn Abou Chedid, an influencer, global brand identity strategist, and personal branding specialist who founded the creative marketing company Guided Agency, told B-17 that certain celebrity personas “tend to transcend controversy.”

Donaldson has largely dodged criticism in the past. His exponential growth so far hasn’t been tempered by anything that comes his way.

“Allegations or even legal proof can stay entirely separate from public or consumer appetite for the personal brand,” Chedid said, adding that many of Donaldson’s core audience — which makes up more than 300 million YouTube subscribers — may not even be reading these articles.

Thomas Walters, the CEO and cofounder of the influencer marketing agency Billion Dollar Boy, told B-17 that Donaldson is relying on his loyal fanbase, “hoping that by generating excitement for the upcoming show, they will continue to tune in.”

MrBeast and his friend and former colleague Ava Tyson (right).

Staying tight-lipped

Donaldson has been quieter than usual in the last few weeks. His reputation took a hit in July when his long-term friend and colleague, Ava Tyson, was accused of messaging a child fan inappropriately.

Donaldson cut professional ties with Tyson and said he was “disgusted and opposed” to her behavior and that he had hired a third-party investigator. Tyson apologized for her “past behavior or comments” but did not specify what those were.

Since then, Donaldson has hired a top law firm to investigate his workplace but has been selective about what he’s said publicly.

Donaldson has, however, launched a new product with KSI and Paul called Lunchly, which is a competitor to Kraft Heinz’s Lunchables.

Walters said Donaldson is staying tight-lipped about the show’s controversies, both because of “legal sensitivities” and to avoid drawing any more negative attention.

“As the case is open and ongoing, he may be unable to comment in detail,” he said.

However, Chedid told B-17 these “stonewall tactics” may “come back to bite him,” affecting his reputation and future partnerships.

“He is simply hiding behind his products,” Chedid said, adding that there is only so long Donaldson can count on being bankable if he’s seen as a risky investment.

D’Angelo told B-17 Donaldson might decide to speak up if the controversy starts to affect his “bread and butter” — his YouTube channel.

“I’m certain that is something that’s on MrBeast’s mind all the time,” she said.

Donaldson’s channel is still growing, and there’s no sign that anyone is likely to overtake him as the biggest YouTuber in the world anytime soon. But he may find his fans eventually want him to be honest with them.

“The budget for ‘Beast Games’ may be huge and the audience appetite stronger than ever,” Chedid said. “But those same fans will soon grow too, and with them, their appetite for transparency and ethics.”