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MrBeast working with $2 million fund to invest in up-and-coming creators

MrBeast working with $2 million fund to invest in up-and-coming creators

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Part of a new company called Creative Juice

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A photo of MrBeast.
MrBeast, real name Jimmy Donaldson.
Photo: Night Media

MrBeast said last year that he wanted a way to invest in up-and-coming creators, help them blow up, and get a cut of their business in return — and today, he’s announcing a plan to do just about that.

The hit YouTuber, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, is working with a $2 million investment fund that will offer creators up to $250,000 in exchange for a stake in their channels. The fund, called Juice Funds, is part of a new company that Donaldson is a minority owner of called Creative Juice, which was announced this afternoon in The Information.

“We’re gonna make sure we find [creators] that actually need a giant cash inflow and aren’t just trying to go buy a Lamborghini,” Donaldson told The Information.

Details about the investment fund are limited right now. Juice Funds hasn’t said when it will launch or what type of creators it’s looking to invest in. Donaldson said the idea is to help YouTubers “pour gas on the fire” the way a business might by raising an influx of cash once they’re already growing quickly.

MrBeast is one of the biggest creators on YouTube. He has nearly 56 million subscribers and gets tens of millions of views per video (his most recent, posted a week ago, already has 35 million views). He’s known for pulling off goofy, supersized stunts — like making a “2,000 gallon” cereal bowl — but mainly, he’s known for giving away cars, houses, and cash as part of his videos.

The investment fund is just one part of what Creative Juice plans to offer. The company is developing tools to help creators track their performance across platforms. Investors are calling it “Square for creators” and say it plans to launch a suite of products to help creators operate more like small businesses.

While Creative Juice’s website says that “MrBeast will invest up to $2M” in YouTube creators, the reality is that he’s just one part of Juice Funds. A spokesperson told The Verge that the $2 million comes from Creative Juice, not Donaldson, and that Donaldson will not be the only person picking out creators. “He will be involved in selecting and mentoring creators,” the spokesperson wrote in an email to The Verge. And while Donaldson will “share upside in creators” for his role in Juice Funds, it’ll be Creative Juice that directly owns the stake in these creators.

Correction March 25th, 2PM ET: This story has been updated to clarify MrBeast’s role in Juice Funds. While Creative Juice initially indicated that he was overseeing the $2 million fund, the company has since clarified that he is an adviser to the company who will be involved in choosing investments.