MrBeast torched by backlash after locking stuntman in burning house for $500K
Top YouTuber sets the internet on fire with latest viral stunt
YouTube superstar MrBeast has set the internet ablaze — literally.
His newest viral stunt, “Would You Risk Dying for $500,000 (£372,000),” shows a stuntman scrambling through fireballs, explosions, and a flaming house to collect bags of cash.
The video shot to over 49 million views in days, but not everyone was impressed.
Furious viewers blasted the spectacle as “dystopian” and “humiliating,” accusing MrBeast of glorifying reckless danger.
The man behind the madness — real name Jimmy Donaldson — fired back: “I take safety more serious than you could ever imagine.”
The stunt itself
Eric, the contestant and a professional stuntman, faced seven “death traps,” from being shot out of a cannon into fire to breaking free from a burning house.
He eventually pocketed $350,000 (£260,000), telling fans he’ll use the money to help his retired parents.
MrBeast claps back
Donaldson jumped onto X to silence the critics: “This blew up, if you’re curious obviously we had ventilation for the smoke and a kill switch to cut off the fires. We had professionals test this extensively and the guy in the video as stated is a professional stunt man. I take safety more serious than you could ever imagine.”
Pinned to the video itself, he added: “We also had a pyro team controlling the fires and multiple fire suppression methods on every challenge… But our stunt coordinator did an amazing job as always, and none of these systems were ever needed. Just wanted to be transparent with you all since I saw some concern!”
Not his first controversy
MrBeast, now commanding over 440 million subscribers, is YouTube’s biggest earner.
He also runs fast-food ventures and the Amazon series Beast Games.
But his empire has a history of flare-ups: a lawsuit claiming contestants were “exploited,” backlash from Mexico’s government for “exploiting” Mayan pyramids, and even an apology after fans had a “horrible” experience at a Las Vegas event.
Love him or hate him, MrBeast knows how to keep people watching — even when he sets the internet on fire.
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