Explained: The lawsuit against Amazon and MrBeast, the biggest YouTuber in the world

Who is MrBeast?

Jimmy Donaldson, popularly known as MrBeast on his YouTube channel, has been the most followed YouTuber in the world since June 2024. He is primarily known for his viral videos featuring extravagant stunts and giveaways.

The 26-year-old studied in a private school and briefly attended East Carolina University, dropping out later. He began his YouTube journey at age 13 in 2012 with the username MrBeast6000, making videos of himself playing popular video games.

Gradually, Donaldson expanded into content that would earn him a bigger presence on the platform. For instance, he offered tips on promoting YouTube content and estimating the net worth of major YouTube personalities. His fortunes turned in mid-2016 as his reaction videos helped him net 30,000 followers.

The next January, he began to pivot into the content he is known for today, employing a touch of the bizarre. Consider video titles such as “I Mailed Myself IN A BOX & it REALLY WORKED! (Human Mail Challenge)” from 2016 and “Extreme $1,000,000 Hide And Seek” from 2021.

While his videos garnered great attention among younger people, his popularity exploded during the pandemic. His viral 2021 YouTube video, “$456,000 Squid Game In Real Life!,” was a reality competition that leveraged the hype around the Netflix show Squid Game.

In 2023, Forbes estimated his net worth at $54 million. Donaldson has also dabbled in other ventures, including a snack company called ‘Feastables,’ the short-lived MrBeast Burger, and now, ‘Beast Games’.

What is ‘Beast Games’?

‘Beast Games’ was visualised as “the biggest reality competition” ever, in which contestants would participate in a series of risky tasks to win grand prizes. The show is set to air on Amazon Prime Video later this year.

According to an Amazon release published on March 18, 2024, ‘Beast Games’ would feature 1,000 contestants competing for a $5 million cash prize. Donaldson exercised complete creative control of the production while operating as its host and executive producer. He said this was an opportunity to show that “YouTubers and creators can succeed on other platforms.”

What are the allegations against Donaldson and Amazon?

Five unnamed contestants have instituted a class action lawsuit against Donaldson and Amazon to represent the larger group of participants. Here are the key allegations:

1. 01

   Violation of workplace rules under California law

   The suit alleges that the contestants were “employees” under California law, but were misrepresented in the contract. The suit says the contestants performed tasks for which they were promised compensation and “in reality, were the essential labor component to the entire production.”

   Additionally, the contestants were expected to “put their lives on hold to provide labor exclusively” for the show.

2. 02

   Contractual misrepresentation

   While the contestants were not documented as employees, the showrunners misrepresented their status to earn tax credits from Nevada (where the first leg of the show was filmed). On the other hand, every contestant was forced to sign a contract of adhesion, denying them the time or space to negotiate for better terms.

3. 03

   False advertising

   The show was supposed to be limited to 1,000 contestants competing for a $5 million prize. However, the petitioning contestants discovered during production that 2,000 would be competing.

4. 04

   Lack of autonomy

   Contestants were expected to be present to compete in tasks at all times of the day and night.

   The suit alleges they were denied access to personal belongings, vital medication and clothing (especially underwear). They faced restrictions on movement, contacting other people and their sleeping arrangements.

   It resulted in a situation where multiple contestants were underfed and required to compete in dangerous tasks beyond their present physical or mental capacity. This caused acute emotional distress, even as the production was “So Void of Standards of Reasonable Care that MrBeast® Allegedly Offered to Cover the Contestants’ Therapy.”

5. 05

   Failure to offer timely compensation

   The petitioning contestants have alleged that they were not paid the minimum wage for the hours worked, overtime pay, or wages once their time on the show was over.

6. 06

   A culture of misogyny and sexual harassment

   The lawsuit refers to a handbook titled “How to Succeed in MrBeast Production” reportedly circulated, saying, “It’s okay for the boys to be childish,” and “If talent wants to draw a d*** on the white board (sic) in the video or do something stupid, let them… Really do everything you can to empower the boys when filming and help them make content. Help them be idiots.”

   This presented a situation that encouraged wide-scale sexual harassment and “hostile (workplace) conditions”, where women contestants were reportedly the worst affected.