YouTube megastar and entrepreneur Jimmy Donaldson -- better known as MrBeast -- once revealed that his billion-dollar empire was built on years of trial, error and absolute chaos, including hiring comedians and Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) employees to help film his earliest viral videos.

MrBeast's Unconventional Start: ';I Didn't Know What I Was Doing'

In a December 2024 conversation with comedian Theo Von, MrBeast reflected on the early years of his now-massive content operation -- and the often hilarious mistakes that shaped it.

The YouTuber said that when he first started hiring people, he was 19 or maybe even 18 -- just a teenager.

Donaldson said. "I went to an open mic and I was just like, I want my YouTube channel to be a little funnier, so I’m just gonna go hire some random comedians at an open mic."

See Also: MrBeast Says He’s Burned Down 20 Million Trees And Blinded 1,000 Kids, But The Dark April Fool’s Joke Is A Callback To His Philanthropy

After Open Mic Nights, MrBeast Hired Best Buy Workers

After the show, MrBeast went backstage and asked the comedians who made him laugh if they wanted a job.

That offbeat recruiting method worked -- one of those comedians, Tariq, still works with him seven years later.

But it didn't stop there.

After that, MrBeast went to his local Best Buy and hired about seven people who sold laptops, MrBeast recalled.

He went on to add that he has a "ragtag group" of comedians, laptop salesmen and some kids from his high school and "We’re making these videos that are getting views."

He described the early days as "an absolute dumpster fire." 

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MrBeast Learned To Lead: From Chaos To Structure

Over time, Donaldson said he learned to focus on communication and leadership -- and to hire people with experience. 

"I wish I had a mentor," he told Von.

"After a while, I realized ';oh maybe I should hire people who have a little bit of experience in this field, not laptop salesmen and comedians' and over time, I started to figure it out," he recalled.

Those lessons paid off. Today, MrBeast oversees more than 400 full-time employees across multiple businesses, including YouTube channels, Feastables and philanthropy projects.

Billionaire Creator Who Plans To Give It All Away

According to Celebrity Net Worth, MrBeast's fortune is estimated at $2.6 billion. His main YouTube channel alone has 444 million subscribers -- the largest in the world.

Despite his wealth, Donaldson in 2023 said he intends to give it all away.  “I promise to give away all my money before I die. Every single penny.”

Earlier this year, his Amazon.com, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AMZN) Prime Video series "Beast Games," which awarded $10 million to its winner, was renewed for two more seasons.

The first season of "Beast Games" shattered records -- including 44 Guinness World Records -- and awarded a massive $10 million prize to the winner out of 1,000 contestants, but the show ultimately left MrBeast with a financial loss.

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Photo: Joe Seer On Shutterstock.com

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.