MrBeast and the indigestion of bad fame on YouTube

Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, decided to take advantage of his fame as a digital influencer to launch his company “MrBeast Burger”, a business focused on preparing snacks for delivery. However, the ambitious adventure quickly went wrong.

At 25 years old, with more than 170 million followers, the YouTuber has just sued his partners after receiving negative reviews for the quality of his burgers.

“This is the worst burger I've ever eaten. It was like swallowing spoonfuls of garlic powder,” said one critic in New York.

The report is one of the criticisms included in the lawsuit filed in July in a New York court.

In retaliation, the company that provided services for the project, Virtual Dining Concepts, has just filed a lawsuit for damages and interest against MrBeast, in the amount of US$100 million (around R$489 million at current prices).

The influencer, however, has other tricks up his sleeve, such as the company Feastables, which sells cookies and chocolate cereal bars.

The food industry, which moves billions of dollars around the world, is a tempting gold mine for these social media stars.

Carlos Ríos, a Spanish nutritionist with 1,6 million followers on Instagram, quickly created his own food brand as an alternative to ultra-processed products. Just like fighter and YouTuber Logan Paul, who owns his energy drink company.

Even Spanish painter Salvador Dalí made marketing one of his major sources of income, as well as actor George Clooney, who has his own brand of tequila.

“Many YouTubers create a community of loyal fans thanks to their seemingly close relationship with their audience,” explains Vince Miller, from the University of Kent, in the United Kingdom.

But MrBeast’s legal troubles are “a signal to many other influencers. The entire career of someone like MrBeast is based on their reputation,” explains Jess Flack, founder of specialist marketing agency Ubiquitous.

He's "not an actor or a singer who can return to his career" if his business fails, Flack says. A negative review is devastating for those who only sell their image or opinions.

According to Forbes, the young man earned US$54 million (R$264 million) in 2021. His profits are reinvested in videos that surprise due to their careful production, such as the most recent “Sete dias à drift”, in which the YouTuber and several friends are filmed as castaways at sea. The first episode had 46 million views.

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