MrBeast Broke? Billionaire YouTuber Claims He Has “Negative Money” As Tom Lee Invests $200M

The allure of becoming a YouTube superstar often conjures images of endless wealth and effortless luxury. Yet for Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, the reality is more nuanced – and far less liquid.

In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, Donaldson addressed the frequent media portrayal of him as a billionaire, clarifying the distinction between headline-grabbing net worth and actual cash on hand.

“It’s funny talking about my personal finances because no one ever believes anything I say, because they’re like, ‘You’re a billionaire,’” Donaldson said. “I’m like, that’s net worth.”

“I actually … I have negative money right now. I’m borrowing money. That’s how little money I have,” he continued. “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, or whatever.”

Last June, Donaldson revealed he had asked his mother for financial help to cover costs related to his upcoming wedding to Thea Booysen, then 28. The couple has described plans for an intimate ceremony, far removed from the extravagance one might associate with a global media figure.

Forbes pegged his annual earnings at $85 million as of June 2025, while Fortune reported in September 2025 that his holding company, Beast Industries—which he owns a little more than half of—carried a $5 billion valuation. The conglomerate encompasses his YouTube operations, the Feastables chocolate brand, Lunchly snacks, and other ventures, with Donaldson’s personal net worth frequently cited around $2.6 billion on paper, according to the New York Post.

Yet Donaldson’s ventures have not been without its headaches.

The most prominent example is his virtual restaurant brand, MrBeast Burger, launched in 2020 through a partnership with Virtual Dining Concepts (VDC). The ghost-kitchen concept initially exploded, expanding to thousands of locations and generating substantial revenue via delivery apps. The momentum stalled amid persistent customer complaints about quality. Reviewers often described the burgers as “disgusting,” “inedible,” undercooked, or arriving in subpar condition, the Daily Mail reported.

In 2023, Donaldson sued VDC, seeking to end the partnership and alleging breach of contract, inadequate quality control, unpaid royalties, and irreparable harm from the inferior product – despite periods when the brand reportedly pulled in over $100 million. VDC countersued for up to $100 million, accusing Donaldson of breaching obligations, publicly disparaging the brand (including now-deleted social-media posts calling it a “bad deal”), and interfering with operations. Both parties claimed the other prioritized scale or personal interests over quality and mutual fairness. The legal dispute remains unresolved.

Tom Lee Is All In

Donaldson’s cash crunch comes amid news that Donaldson’s Beast Industries is about to receive a $200 million investment from Tom Lee’s Bitmine Immersion Technologies, the world’s leading ETH treasury company. Lee’s investment will back a media property which boasts over 450 million subscribers and attracts over 5 billion monthly views. The deal closes on or around Jan. 19, CNBC reports. 

“It’s our view that ethereum, which is a smart contract platform, is the future of finance, where digitalization of not only dollars but stocks and equities [are] going to take place,” Lee told “Squawk Box” Thursday. “Over time, that really blurs what is a service versus what’s digital money, and that’s where a collaboration and investment into Beast Industries makes sense.”

TOM LEE + MR. BEAST

– Bitmine is investing $200M into Beast Industries
– Ethereum is the core platform
– Focus on digital items and financial services
– Targeting Gen Z and Gen Alpha at massive scale pic.twitter.com/xvpVkEWdE6

— Tom Lee Tracker (Not actually Tom) (@TomLeeTracker) January 15, 2026