YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, known professionally as MrBeast, is seeking to raise hundreds of millions of dollars in a new funding round that would value his business empire at approximately $5 billion, sources familiar with the matter tell Bloomberg.

The creator’s holding company, which encompasses several business ventures including chocolate brand Feastables, snack company Lunchly, and his video production operations, generated over $400 million in sales last year and is currently profitable. 

Sources indicate that Donaldson is approaching financial firms and high-net-worth individuals to secure investment, though discussions remain in preliminary stages.

As Bloomberg notes, the capital raised would fund expansion of both his consumer packaged goods and media enterprises. Donaldson previously secured investment from New York-based Alpha Wave Global, demonstrating his ability to attract institutional capital.

Media Success Beyond YouTube

While Donaldson’s primary platform remains YouTube, where his challenge videos and large-scale giveaways attract hundreds of millions of views, he has successfully ventured into traditional media. 

His Amazon Prime Video series “Beast Games” became the streaming platform’s most-watched unscripted program ever, with Amazon committing $100 million for the first season.

Despite this success, Donaldson recently revealed on “The Diary of a CEO” podcast that he “lost tens of millions of dollars” on the production by exceeding the budget to maximize quality. 

Amazon has agreed to produce additional seasons, with the original deal outlining more than $250 million for two further installments, though final budgets remain under negotiation.

Donaldson’s business portfolio has seen both successes and challenges. Feastables chocolate bars now sell across the United States and Canada, while his MrBeast Burger food delivery operation has encountered legal complications with a business partner. The YouTuber also expressed interest in bidding for TikTok’s U.S. operations.