Gone are the days when someone does good and it isn’t criticised immediately. MrBeast is learning this the hard way, after building 100 wells in Africa to supply the locals with clean water; a generous move, but one that’s garnered equal amounts of criticism as it has praise.
Building a stable fresh water supply for approximately 500,000 people is a feat to be championed, undoubtedly. However, it isn’t the act itself, but rather how the YouTuber has gone about it. According to his critics, MrBeast is well known for “exploiting” the vulnerable to get views, of which he has many with over 200 million subscribers flocking to his channel. And not just because there have been recent problems between MrBeast and Jacksepticeye after an interesting polygraph test…
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However, while views are obviously important to any successful YouTuber, it’s fair to say that MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, has been helping out those less fortunate than himself for some time now. Having bought prosthetic limbs for amputees, as well as cataract surgery for the visually impaired, thus making his well-building endeavour feel more like a next step than a quick grab for likes.
Not that Donaldson is oblivious to the criticism, having addressed that very issue after saying he expects to be “cancelled” now the video has gone live. It would seem he knows the internet all too well. The thing is, whether you think it's exploitative or not, MrBeast is doing something that activists have said the Kenyan government is failing to do; “We are a shameful, horrible country…a begging nation governed by millionaires,” said well-known activist Boniface Mwangi.
One Redditor believes they’ve figured out why people are so angry. “People are pissed because they know something is off but can’t place their finger on it. What’s off is the system.” They continued, “We shouldn’t rely on rich people’s philanthropy to have a better world. One person shouldn’t have the power to decide what, where and who to help. Nonetheless, even if in the worst case scenario where it’s just an ego/money thing for MrBeast, the situation is still a net positive for the world.”
Donaldson currently makes double any other YouTuber, meaning he more than has the funds to spread some goodwill across the globe. Even if those good deeds end up being profitable for him, it’s “better than making boatloads of money for doing shitty things”.