MrBeast fans stunned by YouTube star’s 2018 arrest for shocking crime

Fans of YouTube sensation Mr. Beast were shocked when they learned about his criminal record.

Known for his over-the-top challenges, huge giveaways and viral stunts, MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, is also famously tight-lipped about his personal finances, despite Forbes report that he made $85 million in 2024.

A 2018 mugshot of MrBeast, the philanthropic YouTube star, recently surfaced amid a class-action lawsuit filed by former contestants on his upcoming game show alleging “chronic abuse,” including sexual harassment.

On January 21, 2018, around 2:30 a.m. one evening, MrBeast was stopped by police along with two other drivers on a North Carolina highway after allegedly driving at 125 mph, according to the Tarboro Police Department.

According to Tar River, two vehicles were racing each other when MrBeast, who was 19 at the time, was stopped. He was arrested and taken into custody on charges of speeding in a 70mph zone, reckless driving and participating in a speed competition. He was held on $100,000 bond.

Fans speculate that MrBeast was driving a BMW i8, a car he recently purchased and showed off in a now-deleted video.

In the video, he revealed that he financed the car not only with his YouTube earnings, but also by selling some of his cryptocurrency holdings.

News of the arrest surprised many fans.

“This is something that the YouTube community doesn’t know yet. Pretty surprising,” A said Reddit user.

Another commented: ‘I didn’t know MrBeast had been arrested before.’

“Well this is surprising like what the f**k,” said a third.

Although MrBeast has never publicly commented on his 2018 arrest, he has recently addressed the allegations of sexual misconduct surrounding his company.

The 26-year-old content creator is the target of a class action lawsuit, along with Amazon, which picked up his upcoming game show.

Five participants in the upcoming Beast Games are suing the internet personality for ‘unreasonable, unsafe and unlawful employment conditions’.

They claim that production crews maintained “the strictest control” over them, including removing their belongings and depriving them of food, water and medical care, to the extent that several participants were hospitalized for dehydration.

They also accuse the Youtuber of promoting a “toxic and hostile” work environment, especially for female participants, due to the “boys-will-be-boys working conditions seemingly promoted by Mr. Donaldson,” according to the filing.

In August, reports surfaced that YouTuber MrBeast had hired high-priced celebrity lawyer Alex Spiro to tackle a former employee’s allegations. This ex-employee, Dawson French, used online aliases to accuse MrBeast of manipulating his extravagant giveaways and knowingly hiring a sex offender.

MrBeast remains silent on the claims, but a cease-and-desist letter reportedly sent to French by Spiro accuses him of spreading “misinformation and false statements.”

The letter, obtained by DailyMail.com, threatens legal action and demands damages if French continues to post under the aliases MrBeastCreative and DogPack404.

French, contacted by DailyMail.com, responded with a serious accusation: “MrBeast has knowingly kept rapists and pedophiles on the payroll (allegedly for legal reasons, but I believe some have been convicted).”

MrBeast has a whopping 327 million followers, making him the most followed person on YouTube.

He also oversees four additional channels, each with more than 25 million subscribers.