MrBeast says he has a negative balance in his bank account, despite his successful businesses.
In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, the 27-year-old YouTuber was asked about why he chooses to keep less than a million dollars for himself despite being “a paper billionaire.” A 2022 article in Forbes estimated his net worth at $500 million, a number that has likely increased significantly in the intervening years thanks to big moves like his 2024 deal with Amazon to make the show Beast Games.
“It's funny talking about my personal finances because no one ever believes anything I say,” he said near the six-minute mark in the video linked above. “Because they're like, ‘You're a billionaire!’ I'm like, ‘That's net worth.’”
He continued, “I have negative money right now, I'm borrowing money. That's how little money I have. Technically, everyone watching this video has more money than me, and their bank account if you subtract the equity value of my company, which doesn't buy me McDonald's in the morning or whatever."
"Why do I choose to keep it that way? I don't know, I just don't really think of it,” the Beast Games creator added. “I wake up, I just work and I don't know, I'm just so busy working. I don't really think about my personal bank account, if that makes sense. I'm just laser focused on making the greatest deals possible and building the business as big as possible."
In June 2025, Donaldson said he was borrowing money from his mother to cover expenses for his upcoming wedding to Thea Booysen because he reinvests his earnings.
"Ironically, I'm actually borrowing $ from my mom to pay for my upcoming wedding lol. But sure, on paper the businesses I own are worth a lot," he wrote on X at the time.
According to a 2025 report from Business Insider, Donaldson said his company, Beast Industries, made just under $500 million in total in 2024. The company’s revenue forecast was said to reach $899 million in 2025.