MrBeast becomes first YouTube creator to pass 500 million subscribers

MrBeast has become the first online creator to reach 500 million subscribers on YouTube. The American video maker, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, passed the mark on June 12, 2026. No single creator had ever crossed that line before. The digital news outlet Exchange4media reported the milestone.

The figure places Donaldson in a class of his own among channels run by people. His nearest rivals sit far behind. Exchange4media reported that popular creators such as Like Nastya and PewDiePie hold subscriber counts in the range of about 110 million to 140 million. That leaves MrBeast more than 350 million ahead of them.

YouTube reacted at the very top. Chief executive Neal Mohan congratulated Donaldson in a public post. "Congratulations @MrBeast on making history as the first creator to reach 500 million subscribers on @YouTube," Mohan wrote. He added, "This achievement is a testament to what's possible when a creator has the freedom to follow their creativity and be their authentic selves."

Mohan also called Donaldson "an incredible innovator" and said YouTube was "so proud to be part of your journey." To mark the record, the platform gave Donaldson a one-of-a-kind Play Button built for 500 million subscribers. Mohan handed the custom award to him in person. YouTube sends Play Button trophies at set subscriber tiers, but no creator had earned one at this level before.

The record shows the scale a single creator can now reach on YouTube, the world's largest video platform. Donaldson sits far ahead of every other channel run by a person. His subscriber count keeps rising, which widens that gap even further.