MrBeast is one of the most popular YouTubers on the planet, with more than 131 million subscribers and billions of views on his videos. He regularly hosts big-budget challenges and engages in philanthropic behavior to raise awareness about certain issues. However, he’s also a polarizing figure in the YouTube community.

MrBeast’s “Squid Game” recreation was an insane investment

For instance, MrBeast hosted his own version of “Squid Game” after the show debuted as one of Netflix’s most popular original series. However, many people accused MrBeast of exploiting the people he recruited to participate.

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This is currently one of the YouTuber’s most popular videos, with nearly 360 million views. Many fans praised him for bestowing the winner with a life-changing amount of money. However, just as many accused MrBeast of not just exploitation, but of completely missing the message behind the original series.

It’s this kind of disparate thinking that has many accusing MrBeast of engaging in something known as “performative altruism.” Although the YouTuber regularly garners praise for his philanthropic behavior, it often benefits him socially and financially. Of course, some are wondering what the YouTuber’s real motives are.

What is “positive altruism” and why is MrBeast accused of it?

The conversation surrounding MrBeast’s alleged performative altruism is reaching an all-time high in the wake of his latest video. Recently, the YouTuber paid to have 1,000 people with partial blindness get a life-changing treatment restoring part or all of their sight.

MrBeast accomplished this in collaboration with an ophthomologist named Dr. Jeffrey Levenson. Ironically, Levenson almost rejected MrBeast’s offer because he had no idea who the YouTuber even was. However, the two ended up collaborating, resulting in 1,000 people who could see for the first time in years, maybe ever.

Watch the video for yourself here:

“Half of all the blindness in the world is people who need a 10-minute surgery,” Levenson said in the video. MrBeast learned of Levenson’s revolutionary procedure through a TED Talk outlining the mission of SEE International, an organization for which Levenson is Chief Medical Officer.

With what is essentially an endless amount of resources at his disposal, MrBeast reached out to Levenson in the hopes of developing a plan to make the surgery a reality for many people who couldn’t afford it. Of course, the YouTuber earned overwhelming praise for his latest act of philanthropy.

How much does MrBeast give away?

In an interview on The Iced Coffee Hour podcast, MrBeast estimated he spends roughly $7 to $8 million per month on his challenges and giveaways. However, he previously said he spent $4 million per month in a different interview. The thing is, he’s worth quite a bit more than that.

He also requires the recipients of his charity to appear in videos which rack up millions of views and, in turn, make him more money. Speaking of money, MrBeast’s true net worth is a subject of debate among fans and detractors alike. Some say the YouTuber is worth $100 million, while others estimate his wealth at nearly $1.5 billion.

He also spends a lot of money to make a lot of money

Not only that, the money he spends on concocting these challenges is often exorbitant. The entirety of the original “Squid Game” cost about $21 million dollars. And this was for an entire show with elaborate sets, an insanely large cast, and other production costs including massive crews, locations, etc.

MrBeast spent a whopping $3.5 million on this 30-minute recreation of the actual show. Long story short, he spent more recreating the show than the show spent on itself. The popular YouTuber is one of the only content creators making big-budget videos of this scale.

Many people are willing to look past how much money he’s hemorrhaging to give a fraction of that money to the people he helps.

Fans and detractors react to MrBeast’s antics

Where do you stand on the MrBeast discourse? If you’re still not sure, check out some of the reactions here and decide for yourself!

Fans:

The detractors encompass a large spectrum of people. On one end are people wondering what MrBeast’s charity means in the larger conversation of wealth disparity. However, other people think he’s the antichrist.

Detractors:

Or, if you want to hear it from the man himself: