MrBeast has previously shared the ‘Purple Cow’ guideline he follows to help his videos rack up more than 100 million views.
The creator, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, has become the most-subscribed YouTuber in the world, with an audience of around 484 million.
His channel is built on big-budget stunts and outlandish challenges, and during a podcast interview last year he broke down what he believes separates a viral concept from something viewers scroll past.
While appearing on Theo Von’s This Past Weekend, Donaldson pointed to the “Purple Cow” idea—an approach he says can be key when aiming for 100 million-plus views.
“A big part of getting 100,000,000 views on a video is whether it’s something someone has seen before or not.
“There’s this analogy I like to use if you’re driving down the road and you see a cow, you’ wont look. But if there’s a purple cow, you’re going to look four times.”
He went on to say the same logic applies online: familiar formats blend into the feed, while something genuinely unexpected grabs attention. In his view, a concept people haven’t encountered before—like building an underground bunker and having two people live inside—functions as the “purple cow” of social media and makes viewers stop to watch.
Despite his massive success, Donaldson has also been candid about struggling with burnout and his mental health.
Speaking on The Colin and Samir Show, a podcast hosted by filmmakers Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry in 2023, Donaldson said: “I don’t have a life. I don’t have work-life balance. My personality, my soul, my being is making the best videos possible, entertaining my fans as best as I can. That is why I exist on this planet.
“I’m miserable a lot of times. I have a mental breakdown every other week because I push myself so hard.”
He didn’t clarify exactly what he meant by “mental breakdown,” but he did describe how he tries to reset when things become overwhelming.
“I just take a couple of hours off, I watch some anime, and then I’m good to go,” the content creator added.
Separately, Beast Industries is currently involved in a legal dispute with former employee Lorrayne Mavromatis, who has filed a lawsuit accusing the company of sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination.
The company has denied the claims, stating the allegation had been “fabricated for the sole purpose of sparking headlines” and for a “multimillion dollar payday”.