MrBeast says he is cash poor despite $2.6 billion net worth
YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, says he often has little cash on hand despite a net worth estimated at $2.6 billion, because he reinvests nearly everything into his businesses and content production.
Jimmy Donaldson, the 28-year-old YouTube star known to his 514 million subscribers as MrBeast, says his personal bank account often runs dry even though his business empire is valued at $5 billion and his net worth is estimated at $2.6 billion. In remarks to the Wall Street Journal earlier this year, Donaldson said he has had to borrow money to cover personal expenses, including cash from his mother to help pay for his upcoming wedding.
“I’m borrowing money. That’s how little money I have,” Donaldson told the Journal. “Technically, everyone watching this video has more money than me in their bank account if you subtract the equity value of my company, which doesn’t buy me McDonald’s in the morning.” He added that he keeps less than $1 million for himself, and that his wealth is tied up in Beast Industries, the parent company behind his ventures.
Donaldson’s fortune comes from a mix of businesses launched in recent years, including the chocolate brand Feastables, the packaged food line Lunchly, the virtual restaurant MrBeast Burger, and the production company MrBeast LLC. He also signed a nine-figure deal with Amazon and his YouTube channel has accumulated 137.5 billion lifetime views. Forbes estimated his earnings at $85 million between April 2024 and April 2025, far above the typical American salary of about $64,220 a year.
Despite those figures, Donaldson says he is effectively in the red. “It’s funny talking about my personal finances, because no one ever believes anything I say,” he explained. “They’re like, ‘You’re a billionaire!’ I’m like, ‘That’s net worth.’ I have negative money right now.” He said he rarely thinks about his personal account because he is focused on producing videos and growing the business.
The reason for the cash crunch, according to Donaldson, is that he reinvests nearly all of his earnings back into his companies. “I personally have very little money because I reinvest everything,” he wrote on X. “I think this year we’ll spend around a quarter of a billion on content.” He also responded to a post calling him the only billionaire under 30 who did not inherit wealth, noting that his businesses are worth a lot on paper even if his checking account is not.
Donaldson is not alone among wealthy founders who say their net worth does not translate into ready cash. Ben Francis, founder and CEO of the sportswear brand Gymshark, said his $1.3 billion net worth is “all on paper” and that there is no bank balance with billions in it. Francis, who owns 70% of the company, noted that his fortune depends on the fluctuating value of his assets and could double or halve at any time.
Lucy Guo, cofounder of Scale AI and the youngest self-made billionaire woman in the world, takes a different approach: she has the cash but chooses not to spend it. Guo flies commercial, drives an old Honda Civic, and buys clothes from Shein, saying she does not feel the need to prove her success through luxury purchases. “Who you see typically wasting money on designer clothes, a nice car, et cetera, they’re technically in the millionaire range,” Guo told Fortune last year. “It’s like, act broke, stay rich.”
