Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast, a popular American YouTuber credited with starting a genre of videos centering on expensive stunts and a philanthropist who has recently made headlines for funding cataract surgery to restore sight for 1,000 people, is also an avid investor in cryptocurrencies.
Taking into account the various developments around him, as well as his public comments, MrBeast seems to have at least $2 million in Bitcoin (BTC), which he almost lost two years ago when his home was burgled, in addition to owning some of Gary Vaynerchuk’s non-fungible tokens (NFTs) called VeeFriends.
MrBeast’s crypto holdings
In his recent interview on the YouTube channel Flagrant, Donaldson retold the story of when he thought he had certainly lost millions in Bitcoin because he kept the private key for his crypto wallet written right next to his laptop – one of the things stolen during the break-in. Miraculously, the thief didn’t seem to notice this obvious key to a fortune.
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“That robber’s a f**king moron. (…) He’s busy stealing my TV, my f**king blanket, instead of the f**king Bitcoin that was sitting right there,” MrBeast said in the interview.
In September 2021, the YouTuber told social media personality Logan Paul, during a talk for his IMPAULSIVE channel, that he had bought eight CryptoPunk NFTs earlier that year, claiming he had made around 20-30 times return on investment from their subsequent sale. He directed the proceeds into Gary Vaynerchuk’s VeeFriends.
Furthermore, he had also invested in Xcademy’s XCAD Network (XCAD), a decentralized finance (DeFi) marketplace and YouTube plugin offering influencers one-click NFT creation and monetization with an aim to revolutionize creator monetization with a tokenized economy, although he hasn’t yet released his own creator tokens.
MrBeast had also entered into a partnership with crypto trading platform Coinbase, allowing every user to make $10-worth of Bitcoin free of charge with the use of his promotion code, as well as a chance to win $100,000 in Bitcoin during the promotion period.
Troubles in crypto promotion paradise
That said, Donaldson had gotten himself in trouble by backing a crypto project Refinable (FINE), which has declined in value and was accused of being a scam. The criticism resembles the recent accusations against the socialite Kim Kardashian who, together with former boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. and former basketball player Paul Pierce faces charges over the promotion of EthereumMax (EMAX).
Meanwhile, MrBeast is just one of the many influencers and celebrities standing in the crypto ranks alongside the likes of the abovementioned stars, as well as the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) two-division champion Conor McGregor, the former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, Hollywood actor Matt Damon, American rapper Snoop Dogg, and football star Cristiano Ronaldo.
