YouTube genius and 21st century philanthropist Jimmy Donaldson, otherwise known as MrBeast, has surpassed Felix Kjellberg, known as Pewdiepie, as the most-subscribed YouTube creator ever. According to Dexerto, Donaldson sailed past Kjellberg's 111,846,079 subscribers just after 4 p.m. EST on Nov. 14.
Tweet may have been deleted
It's the end of Kjellberg's incredible, unmatched dominance on the platform. Despite a history of public admonishments from both YouTube and the media over the use of racist language and antisemitic jokes, Kjellberg has been the most-subscribed creator on YouTube since August 2013. He was the most subscribed channel on YouTube until 2018, when Bollywood production behemoth T-Series surpassed him.
Donaldson and Kjellberg have been contemporaries and friends for several years. In 2018, Donaldson poured thousands of dollars into a marketing blitz in support of the "subscribe to Pewdiepie" campaign, a highly publicized run off between Kjellberg and T-Series for the title of top-subscribed channel on YouTube.
T-Series's triumph signaled a sea change for YouTube as individual and independent creators were dwarfed by brands. A handful of brands, including T-Seriesat 229 million and kids channel Cocomelon at 147 million, now have more subscribers than Donaldson and Kjellberg.
In recent years, Donaldson's MrBeast channel has seen explosive growth, thanks to his obsessive optimization of YouTube's algorithm, philanthropic approach to viral content, and gamified video concepts. He has also opened a successful global ghost kitchen burger brand and snack line, all while making millions that he claims to reinvest in his channel.
Kjellberg began as a gaming creator, posting "let's play" videos that documented both his gameplay and his reactions. His sense of humor and outsized physical responses to losses and jump scares grew him a loyal following he referred to as his "bros." Kjellberg has since backed away from gaming and leaned into commentary and comedy. In the past two years, he has committed to posting more unstructured content, like vlogs, and has called the period his "retirement."
In a video from August, a viewer asked Kjellberg if he thought that Donaldson would surpass his subscriber count. Kjellberg smiled. "He definitely will. Come on, I've been retired for two years now. I can't wait for it to be over," he admitted, "He definitely deserves it, I hope he does it."
TopicsYouTube
(责任编辑：休閑)
Ivanka Trump's unpaid interns share cringeworthy financial advice
Drop everything: Kendrick Lamar just dropped a surprise new track
Today, in Bad News for Uber: Denmark kicks Uber to the curb
YouTube issues proper apology over restricted mode censoring creatorsMom discovers security cameras hacked, kids' bedroom livestreamedPhotos show the Blue Cut fire blazing a path of destruction in California
A fast moving wildfire continued raging near San Bernadino, California, forcing the evacuation of at
...[详细]With the new iPhone SE, India finally gets its decent, cheap iPhone
Apple is finally giving India a decent iPhone it can afford. The company today announced that the ne
...[详细]Americans now trust ads more than news and who can blame them?
Are you tired of doubting information from the news media? Fed up with America's public institutions
...[详细]People don't care who wrote a news story, but they do care who shared it on Facebook
People never remember, or care, who wrote a news story they read. But they really care who shared it
...[详细]Man stumbles upon his phone background in real life
Life imitates tech. Or, perhaps it's the other way around.Reddit user xbshooterwas traveling near Sa
...[详细]'Business and politics are inseparable' says our favorite Silicon Valley tweeter
Box CEO Aaron Levie isn't one to keep his mouth shut, providing often witty commentary on Twitter, a
...[详细]Drawings of alleged Samsung Galaxy Note 8 design and specs leak
Samsung is poised to finally reveal the long-awaited Galaxy S8 next week .But we’re just as ex
...[详细]Viral hashtag uncovers stories of everyday racism people face in Australia
Australia's government will push for changes to its race hate laws, and the internet is far from ple
...[详细]Give your kitchen sponge a rest on this adorable bed
Our kitchen sponges do a lot of work. Don't they deserve a good night's rest?"Sure," said design stu
...[详细]David Beckham looks totally unrecognisable in his 'King Arthur' makeup
If you had to rank British men in order of how flawlessly chiselled they look, David Beckham would a
...[详细]One of the most controversial power struggles in media comes to a close
Like Tina Fey? And the ACLU? Do we have the livestream for you.
