MrBeast is stepping into the Shark Tank investor chair as Beast Industries continues its push to build a business empire that extends well beyond YouTube.
Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, will appear as a guest shark when Shark Tank returns for its 18th season on ABC. The appearance places one of the world’s biggest digital creators alongside established business personalities and comes as Beast Industries works to expand its position across media, consumer products, philanthropy, and other businesses.
Donaldson will appear in the season premiere, titled “Beast Mode,” alongside Jeffrey Housenbold, chief executive of Beast Industries. The episode will feature entrepreneurs pitching businesses including a DIY wedding video service, a finger-shaped caulking tool, and an AI-powered ball.
MrBeast Joins Shark Tank Season 18
The addition of MrBeast represents another expansion of Shark Tank’s guest-investor lineup.
The show’s 18th season also includes guest sharks such as actor and writer Mindy Kaling, former NFL lineman J.J. Watt, podcast host Steven Bartlett, and sisters Erin and Sara Foster. Kendra Scott and Rashaun Williams, who previously appeared as guest sharks, have also joined the regular lineup alongside longtime investors Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, and Kevin O’Leary.
For Donaldson, the appearance comes at a time when his business interests have grown considerably beyond the creator’s YouTube channel.
Beast Industries Builds a Business Beyond YouTube
Beast Industries was founded in 2021 and has increasingly positioned itself as a broader consumer and media company rather than simply a vehicle for Donaldson’s content operation.
The company raised capital at a $5.2 billion valuation earlier this year in a round led by Alpha Wave Global. It also received an additional $200 million investment from Bitmine Immersion Technologies, an Ethereum treasury company, in a deal that closed around January 19.
Housenbold, who became CEO in September 2024, previously led Shutterfly and worked as a managing director at SoftBank’s Vision Fund. His appointment has added an executive with experience in large-scale consumer businesses and institutional investment to the company’s leadership team.
Beast Industries’ Revenue Growth Comes With Heavy Investment
The company’s expansion has also come with substantial costs.
According to figures cited in the source material, Beast Industries has accumulated approximately $500 million in losses over five years while investing in YouTube production, philanthropy, and consumer products.
At the same time, the company has reduced operating expenses by more than $100 million over the past 14 months and expects to reach profitability this year. Revenue has reportedly increased by roughly half over the past two years.
One of the strongest-performing businesses within the group has been Feastables, Donaldson’s chocolate brand.
Feastables generated approximately $250 million in revenue and $20 million in profit in 2024, according to the figures cited in the source. That performance contrasted with the company’s media division, which recorded a loss despite generating higher revenue that year.
MrBeast’s YouTube Reach Continues to Drive the Business
Donaldson’s influence remains closely connected to the scale of his YouTube audience.
His main YouTube channel surpassed 500 million subscribers on June 12, making him the first individual creator to reach that milestone. Public subscriber tracking put the channel at approximately 513 million subscribers as of August.
However, the pace of subscriber growth has slowed. Monthly additions reportedly declined from approximately 14 million subscribers early in the year to between 6.5 million and 8 million more recently.
That enormous audience remains an important asset as Beast Industries expands its consumer brands and other business operations.
MrBeast’s Valuation and Personal Wealth Remain Separate Questions
The scale of Beast Industries has also fueled estimates of Donaldson’s personal wealth.
Some estimates place his net worth at approximately $2.6 billion, based in part on assumptions about his ownership stake in Beast Industries following the latest funding round. However, the source notes that the figure has not been confirmed through an audited filing, and Donaldson has disputed the idea that the company’s valuation represents readily spendable cash.
In a January interview, he explained that the valuation does not translate directly into cash. He also previously told YouTube channel Colin and Samir that he spends approximately $4 million per month running the business.
What MrBeast’s Shark Tank Appearance Signals
MrBeast’s Shark Tank appearance can be viewed in the context of both television and the changing creator economy.
From the television side, bringing a creator with an exceptionally large audience into the investor lineup offers an established business format access to a substantial digital following.
For Beast Industries, meanwhile, the appearance places Donaldson directly within a traditional business-investment environment alongside established investors.
The company’s recruitment of executives with institutional investment and consumer-business experience, combined with its recent fundraising, points to an effort to build a more diversified organization. At the same time, questions remain about how much of the company’s value ultimately depends on Donaldson’s personal reach and the platforms that distribute his content. A single Shark Tank appearance does not resolve that question.
When Does MrBeast Appear on Shark Tank?
The 18th season of Shark Tank premieres Wednesday, September 30, at 9 p.m. Eastern on ABC. New episodes will stream the following day on Hulu.
MrBeast’s appearance comes at a notable point in the evolution of his business: his YouTube audience remains enormous, while Beast Industries is increasingly being built around consumer products, media, investment, and a broader corporate structure.
Whether that strategy ultimately transforms Beast Industries into a diversified business independent of its creator remains an open question. For now, his Shark Tank debut offers a highly visible example of how the creator economy is moving into increasingly traditional spaces in business and entertainment.
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