MrBeast Sparks Outrage After Trapping Contestant In Fiery $500K Stunt

MrBeast is once again testing the limits of entertainment and sparking major backlash in the process. The YouTube megastar, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, is defending himself after releasing a new video that shows a contestant attempting to escape a burning building for a shot at a $500,000 prize. The video, titled “Would You Risk Dying For $500,000?”, debuted on Saturday and has already racked up more than 44 million views. It begins with a professional stuntman tied up inside a burning room, $500,000 in cash sitting behind him as flames roar around the set. “This man is literally in a burning building,” MrBeast says in the video, which challenges the stuntman to navigate what he describes as “7 death traps.” Among the fiery obstacles is being shot out of a cannon through flames and leaping through burning rings.

The stunt quickly divided viewers. Critics flooded social media with questions about whether Donaldson had gone too far. “Is this entertainment or low-key torture? Where’s the line?” one viral comment read.

"Putting someone in a burning house, even for that kinda cash, is crossing a line," another said. "Seems like there are better ways to entertain folks without putting lives on the line. Just my two cents, though.

A third asked, "How is this even allowed to happen?"

As criticism spread online, MrBeast quickly fired back, insisting the stunt was tightly controlled and extensively tested before filming.

“In case there’s any concern about the safety of the stuntman contestant, I just wanted to mention that we take safety extremely seriously," he wrote in a pinned comment on his YouTube video. "Every challenge was tested by multiple stuntmen, we have a full rescue team on standbywith firefighters, EMTs and divers equipped with an ambulance and fire truck.

MrBeast added, "We also had a pyro team controlling the fires and multiple fire suppression methods on every challenge to ensure we could essentially turn off the fire if there was ever an issue. 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!”

MrBeast also addressed the controversy over on X.  “This blew up,” Donaldson wrote. “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 stuntman. I take safety more serious than you could ever imagine.”

The fiery $500K stunt also arrives as questions swirl about the sustainability of MrBeast’s massive content machine. A recent Bloomberg profile of the 27-year-old creator revealed that while his YouTube channel is the most popular in the world, his videos are so expensive to make that they often lose money.

According to the report, Beast Industries, Donaldson’s umbrella company, has posted losses for three straight years, including more than $110 million in 2024. Each of his elaborate YouTube productions reportedly costs between $3 million and $4 million to produce, meaning even viral hits with tens of millions of views often fail to break even.

Beyond YouTube, Donaldson has expanded his brand into business ventures like Feastables, his popular chocolate and snack line, and Beast Philanthropy, a nonprofit channel dedicated to large-scale charitable efforts such as food bank donations and housing projects.

Most recently, MrBeast teamed up with fellow creator Mark Rober for #TeamWater, a global campaign aimed at providing clean drinking water across Africa and Southeast Asia. The effort raised over $41 million, fueled by donations from more than 100,000 individuals. While the average contribution was less than $4, corporate giants like Google, TikTok, and Accenture boosted the campaign with multimillion-dollar pledges.

The 27-year-old YouTuber is no stranger to spectacle. With a staggering 441 million subscribers, MrBeast is one of the most recognizable and profitable content creators in the world. Forbes recently named him the top content creator of 2025, estimating his annual earnings at $85 million.

Donaldson has built his empire on elaborate, big-budget stunts, from “Last To Leave The Circle Wins $500,000” to “7 Days Stranded on an Island.” His latest video might be one of his most extreme yet, and whether fans see it as thrilling entertainment or dangerous overreach, it’s undeniable that MrBeast continues to dominate online conversation.