MrBeast fires a bunch of employees

Online video production company MrBeast has laid off a number of employees, it said on Friday.

The dismissals follow a three-month investigation into sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior in the workplace.

MrBeast is the most subscribed YouTube channel in the world and is known for his challenging tricks. It is run by 26-year-old Jimmy Donaldson, who goes by the nickname “MrBeast” in his videos and uses the same name for his production company. MrBeast also runs a charity called Beast Philanthropy.

The investigation, conducted by a firm hired by MrBeast LLC, found no evidence that MrBeast “knowingly” hired people with “a propensity or history of engaging in illegal or questionable legal conduct.”

On Friday, Donaldson shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account a letter written to his board of directors by attorney Alex Spiro. In his post, Donaldson said, “The law firm/investigators reviewed millions of documents/messages and conducted 39 interviews.”

A three-month investigation into allegations against my company has concluded. The law firm/investigators reviewed millions of documents/messages and conducted 39 interviews. I have been asked to refrain from making public statements in order to ensure a detailed and unbiased investigation… pic.twitter.com/lcWb93r9D0

— MrBeast (@MrBeast) November 1, 2024

Spiro, an attorney with Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, said in the letter that he found “several isolated incidents of harassment and misconduct in the workplace.”

He suggested that the company should “immediately terminate individuals who violate company policy, regardless of their position or level within the company.”

A company representative declined to name the exact number of layoffs, saying only that the figure ranges from 5 to 10.

MrBeast LLC was contacted by email outside business hours for comment.

The company was recently rocked by controversy after former MrBeast employee Ava Chris Tyson was accused of exchanging sexually explicit messages with minors, and a 2017 video of Donaldson making racist comments and using homophobic language was posted online by YouTuber Rosanna Pansino.

However, the investigation found that the claims against Tyson were “unfounded.”

According to the BBC’s report on Tyson, at the time of the initial allegations, she apologized for her “past actions” but said she never courted anyone and only made “bad, edgy jokes.”

The BBC also quoted a person who named her as a victim: “It was incredibly difficult to have my name discussed in a public forum without being given the opportunity to share the truth.

“I was not looked after. These were false accusations made by other people using my name.”

MrBeast LLC also suffered a setback in its new Amazon Prime venture “Beast Games” as members sued the company for “unsafe” working conditions. They say that since they made the company money by competing, they should be treated as employees and that their “work on the show was an entertainment product.”

They also allege that the production team was not paid overtime, that they were not given uninterrupted meal and rest breaks, and that they were not paid minimum wage.

A representative for MrBeast previously told The Associated Press via email that he had no comment on the lawsuit.

Spiro said the instances of isolated harassment found during his investigation were likely a result of the fact that MrBeast quickly grew from a YouTube page to a full-fledged production company.

In his letter to the board, he said: “It is not uncommon for policies and practices important to a mature company to lag behind commercial success.”

Spiro is a well-known figure in his own right. He represented former NFL player Aaron Hernandez during his 2017 double murder trial and helped Jay-Z’s Roc Nation get rapper 21 Savage out of prison after he was detained by ICE in 2019. He currently represents New York City Mayor Eric Adams in five cases. federal charges including bribery and wire fraud.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.

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