[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong] MrBeast, the top-ranked American YouTuber, has become the first individual creator in YouTube history to surpass 500 million subscribers.

On June 15 (local time), major foreign media outlets including online media Gigazine reported that MrBeast revealed the moment he reached 500 million YouTube subscribers during a livestream held on June 12.

Jimmy Donaldson (지미 도널드슨), who operates as MrBeast, began YouTube activities in 2012 at the age of 13. He has posted more than 980 videos to date, and total views have surpassed 129 billion. In November 2022, he became the individual creator with the most subscribers. In June 2024, he also rose to No. 1 among all YouTube channels, including companies and broadcasters. With this突破 of 500 million, MrBeast has once again broken his own record.

In a livestream held immediately after reaching 500 million subscribers, Donaldson said, "I can't believe that 500 million people are subscribed." He added, "When I first started the channel, I didn't even have money to buy equipment," and recalled, "I had to save up ad revenue to buy a microphone and a computer."

He cited long hours of effort and persistent video production as the key to his success. Donaldson said, "I think the 10,000-hour rule isn't enough and you need 100,000 hours," adding, "I have invested about 60,000 to 70,000 hours in making videos so far." He continued, "Don't give up on your dreams and keep challenging yourself," and stressed, "You can do it too."

YouTube also delivered a congratulatory message through its official blog. YouTube said, "The globally known MrBeast has made new history by becoming the first individual creator to reach 500 million subscribers," adding, "We look forward to what surprises he will show next."

The record is also meaningful in that it widened the gap with other large channels. The current No. 2 channel by YouTube subscribers is Indian music channel T-Series, with about 312 million subscribers, and No. 3 is children's content channel Cocomelon, at about 201 million.

Others that have ranked highly include SET India (189 million), Vlad and Niki (150 million), Stokes Twins (140 million), Kids Diana Show (138 million), KIMPRO (133 million), Like Nastya (132 million) and Zee Music Company (122 million).

In the industry, the record is assessed as a symbolic example showing that individual creators have moved beyond broadcasters or large media companies to establish themselves at the center of the global content market. MrBeast in particular has been evaluated as presenting a new growth model for the YouTube ecosystem by consistently offering variety-style content backed by large-scale production budgets.

Market attention is focused on how far MrBeast can raise his subscriber count in the future, and what changes YouTube will face in its platform structure as it is reshaped around mega-creators.