Leaked documents reveal the secrets of YouTube star MrBeast's success, including “obsessive” employees, a focus on the “factor of surprise” and a “more extreme, better” philosophy.
Jimmy Donaldson, the 26-year-old face of “MrBeast,” YouTube's most-subscribed channel, was apparently promoting a work environment reminiscent of more traditional tech giants like Amazon and Apple, which place a premium on “obsessive” staff.
According to a leaked memo from X: Business Insider confirmed this with two former Mr.Beast staff members.Donaldson categorizes employees into A players, B players and the dreaded C players.
“We only hire A-players into this company,” Donaldson wrote in the memo. “A-players are people who are tenacious, learn from their mistakes, accept guidance, are intelligent, make no excuses, believe in YouTube, understand the values of this company, and are the best in the world at what they do.”
A B player is “a rookie who needs training to become an A player,” Donaldson writes.
C-players, or “average” employees, are “toxic” and should be “transferred” elsewhere immediately, the YouTube celebrity wrote.
MrBeast did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Donaldson, whose main MrBeast channel has more than 317 million subscribers, told Time magazine in February: Annual revenue of $700 million He has multiple businesses, including spinoff YouTube accounts like his gaming channel and snack brand Feastables.
Donaldson appears to have adopted a “money talks” philosophy, telling employees that they will be given $1,000 if they read the entire guide and “pass the quiz.”
Throughout the 36-page guide, Donaldson shares tips like “the more extreme the better” and “the first minute of each video is the most important minute of each video.”
He stresses the importance of the “wow factor” – doing things on his channel that “no other YouTuber can do,” like videos of him using a crane to move a house.
The YouTube chief also said he prefers employees to be “honest” with each other rather than “nice.”
“I don't care. I just ask that you stop leaving room for mistakes,” he wrote in the leaked memo. “No excuses. Stop leaving room for mistakes.”
Donaldson also advises employees seeking a promotion to simply be clear about their intentions.
Their managers “give you a list of areas to improve in order to become the person we want, and if you actually listen and master them, we give you a chance at the role,” he wrote.
Another former staffer told Business Insider that some aspects of the memo, such as the promotion review process, differed from their experience while working at MrBeast.
Donaldson has made clear his belief that YouTube is the future of video, telling employees to watch as much YouTube as they can and “get off Netflix and Hulu.”
“This is not Hollywood and I don't want to be Hollywood,” Donaldson wrote. “If this sentence makes you uncomfortable, you're probably in the wrong job.”
“I truly believe so. YouTube is the future. I believe with all my heart and soul that YouTube will continue to grow year after year. I want YouTube to be bigger than anyone can imagine in five years' time and this channel to be at the top.”
In the memo, Donaldson was referring to his Mr. Beast persona, which has a mostly male YouTube channel known for its extreme challenges, gaming videos and boyish humor.
“It's OK for boys to be childish. If a talent wants to draw a penis on a whiteboard or do something silly in their video, let them do that,” Donaldson wrote in the memo.
“People love seeing us in our natural silliness, so when you're filming, really do everything you can to empower them and help them create content. Help them be silly.”
The MrBeast brand has at times come under fire for its explicit videos and inappropriate language.
More recently, a class action lawsuit filed last week accused Donaldson, his production company and Amazon of sexually harassing and abusing contestants on the upcoming reality competition show “Beast Games.”
The contestants of this game show, which promised a $5 million prize to the winner, He told the New York Times They were denied adequate food and medical care while filming the first instalment of the series for MrBeast's channel.
Before signing their contracts, several contestants were asked if they would be willing to be buried alive or go into space for the show, according to The New York Times.
One participant reportedly said he was asked if he could swim back from shore if he was thrown overboard from a boat.
