MrBeast has overtaken T-Series as the largest YouTube channel, ending their long-standing competition for the highest subscriber count.
Previously, T-Series, an Indian music label known for releasing trailers and music videos, held its position as the top YouTube channel for five years until its recent overthrow on Sunday.
Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, was already recognized as the individual with the largest following.
Now at 26 years old, he has set a new milestone on the platform, reaching an unprecedented 269 million subscribers and significantly surpassing T-Series, placing him far ahead of the competition.
MrBeast has gained fame through nearly 800 videos featuring large-scale stunts, such as giving away private islands, being buried alive, and recreating the popular Netflix series Squid Game.
On the social media platform X, MrBeast shared that he had finally “avenged” YouTube star Felix Kjellberg, also known as PewDiePie, by exceeding T-Series’ subscriber count of 266 million.
He followed up with another post stating that his channel achieved a record-breaking daily increase in subscribers, gaining over 2 million on Saturday alone.
T-Series first claimed the title in 2019 by surpassing PewDiePie, who commented in a music video about his defeat, “All it took was a massive corporate entity with every song in Bollywood.”
With MrBeast now leading as the most subscribed individual and channel on YouTube, he has significantly expanded his influence and financial success on the platform.
He also manages several other channels focused on gaming, philanthropy, and reactions, each attracting tens of millions of subscribers.
His channel’s description advises viewers, “Do not email me asking for money, I give away money because it makes me happy,” highlighting the millions of dollars he has distributed during his YouTube career.
A recent video from April awarded one participant $250,000 (£196,000).
Forbes in 2022 estimated his net worth at approximately $500 million and placed him at the top of their 2023 list of 50 leading creators.
Elon Musk, who has urged MrBeast and other creators to use his platform X (formerly Twitter), was among those offering congratulations.
Musk’s efforts to attract more creators to X are central to his strategy to make the platform profitable, as evidenced by MrBeast revealing he earned $250,000 from his first video on X in January.
MrBeast’s new record is also welcome news for Amazon, which has secured him for a television deal reportedly valued at up to $100 million.
