In a newly revealed story, a brand missed a monumental opportunity to collaborate with MrBeast, the now world-famous YouTuber, back in 2018 for a mere $50,000. At the time, MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, was an emerging content creator with one million subscribers. Fast forward to today, he has become the most subscribed YouTube creator globally, boasting over 281 million subscribers.
The missed opportunity was recounted by Daniel Cordas, a London-based artist, on TikTok. Cordas described it as “the biggest L in YouTube, consultancy, and marketing history.” He explained that in early 2018, a company approached him for advice on promoting a new game. Cordas suggested a YouTube promotion with MrBeast, then charging around $10,000 per promotion, which was a typical YouTube sponsorship rate for emerging influencers at the time.
Cordas contacted MrBeast via the email provided in his YouTube bio and showed screenshots of their conversation. Despite Cordas’s strong recommendation, the company balked at the $50,000 fee when MrBeast upped his price. “They definitely had the budget but they didn’t see the value,” Cordas lamented. He emphasized that if the sponsorship had gone through, the brand’s promotion would have remained on MrBeast’s YouTube channel, gaining immense value as his popularity skyrocketed.
Reflecting on the missed chance, Cordas speculated on the current MrBeast sponsorship cost, acknowledging that it would be exponentially higher now. MrBeast, now a titan on YouTube, is renowned for his big-budget videos, massive challenges, and generous prize giveaways, making his sponsorships highly coveted and much more expensive.
Recently, MrBeast teased what he described as his “biggest video ever” on X (formerly Twitter), sharing a picture with some of the biggest names on the internet. His rise from an up-and-coming YouTuber to the most subscribed channel, surpassing even T-Series, is marked by his innovative YouTube marketing strategy and engagement with viewers.
The story serves as a stark reminder of the potential value in early investments in digital influencers, a lesson underscored by the incredible success of MrBeast. Today, partnering with him would require a significantly higher budget, reflecting his immense influence and reach on the platform.
