MrBeast has once again surprised the community with a charity campaign. In his latest video, he helps 2,000 people by providing them with physiotherapists and custom-made prostheses. In a subsequent statement, the world's most successful YouTuber sharply criticises the American healthcare system. Serious warning or clever PR?
Jimmy MrBeast Donaldson is a YouTube giant that no one can really ignore anymore.
With his massive projects and spectacular videos, ranging from huge influencer collaborations to impressive recreations of Squid Game and large-scale charity initiatives, MrBeast knows no creative boundaries when it comes to designing his videos.
In his latest project, I Helped 2,000 People Walk Again, he helped hundreds of people get access to expensive physiotherapy or prosthetic legs.
Shortly after the video was released, Donaldson tweeted his disappointment with the U.S. healthcare system, describing the situation as unacceptable.
"We need to fix this"
The topic of health insurance in the U.S. is complex. There is no universal public health insurance, and many people have to cover their hospital bills entirely on their own.
In his new video, MrBeast addresses this issue and provides 2,000 people with free prosthetics and physical therapy – a genuine and truly commendable action.
He ends by stating that it should not be up to a YouTuber like him to do something like this:
"The only way these people have a chance at getting a prosthetic leg to walk again and find work is for a YouTuber to step in and help. And that’s just ridiculous."
After witnessing the moving stories of the people affected, Donaldson feels compelled to publicly expose the systemic issues.
Just uploaded a video where we helped 2,000 amputees walk again. Many lived in America and it feels so disgusting that in a country with this much wealth, a fucken YouTuber is their only option to get a prosthetic leg. We need to fix this.
— MrBeast (@MrBeast) January 11, 2025
He talks about cases where health insurance companies refused to cover the costs, and people whose private insurance was insufficient, leaving them stuck with the enormous expenses.
And these amounts are no small matter: Treatment and subsequent therapy for people with limited mobility, such as those who have lost a leg or an arm, can easily cost up to $100,000 in the U.S..
For many low-income families without proper insurance, this is an unaffordable sum.
Between Genuine Intent And Sensationalism
Although MrBeast appears to be shocked by the situation, he is well aware of the flaws in the American healthcare system. After all, this is not his first charitable project.
In 2024, he bought out an entire groceries-store in Berlin and donated the products to those in need, and in 2023, he covered the costs of several surgeries for sick children.
In addition, campaigns such as planting 20 million trees or helping to clean up the ocean have gone viral.
U actually can't please anyone nowadays bro this dude Mr beast slides to Africa, gives away 20k pairs of shoes, and people are finding a way to complain about that. Who gives a shit if he's making a profit when he's doing good?
— Goblin (@TheGoblinnn) March 10, 2023
Of course, PR plays a significant role as well.
It is well-known that his generosity stems not just from pure altruism but is also used as part of his YouTube content, which can sometimes overshadow his good intentions.
In his statements, where he expresses shock at the circumstances, there is also a clear intent to increase the reach of his videos through his seemingly empathetic involvement.
As he himself says, he wants to use this attention to raise awareness about the situation of these people:
"I’m not sure what the solution is, but I wanted to share this so the 100 million people watching can be inspired. What I witnessed during this video is clearly unacceptable."
However, with MrBeast, the question remains: How much of his willingness to help is genuinely sincere, and how much is simply for sensationalism?
After all, his success and the ability to carry out such actions is due in large part to the clickbait videos that made him famous.
It seems, then, that part of his business model is transforming sad topics into positive, mass-appealing videos, in order to generate new reach and make it possible to fund more projects like these.
Media ethics may not always align, but for the people affected, it serves its purpose.
But despite all the admiration for his generous and exemplary actions, it is still remarkable that he uploaded such a video and then, just four days later, claimed to have sat down with billionaires to discuss buying TikTok.
Fighting social injustice and then trying to save a Chinese short video platform from being banned in the U.S. with billions of U.S. dollars? That seems to present a contradictory picture.
What do you think of this campaign? Pure PR after the massive BeastGames criticism, or a sincere commitment? Let us know your opinion in the comments!