YouTuber MrBeast under fire for omitting Ukraine war in viral video
MrBeast (photo: instagram.com/mrbeast)
American blogger and philanthropist James Donaldson, known as MrBeast, found himself at the center of a scandal over his new video. In the clip, where he shows himself rescuing animals in different countries, including Ukraine, attentive viewers noticed that the Russian translation removed any mention of the war, which caused the animals' suffering.
The MrBeast channel has over 448 million subscribers and is considered the most popular in the world.
His videos are translated into 24 languages, so viewers from different countries can watch the content without language barriers.
The latest video, titled "I Saved 1,000 Animals from Dying," gained nearly 40 million views in just one day.
MrBeast sparked controversy over the video about Ukraine (screenshot)
In the original, the blogger explained that he traveled from South Africa to Ukraine, "where years of war have destroyed the zoos, leaving rescued lions to survive in makeshift shelters."
MrBeast sparked controversy over the video about Ukraine (screenshot)
According to him, "because they're still threatened by the ongoing war, we're gonna fly them out of there."
The video shows three lions from Ukraine being transported by plane to Africa, where they were given a new home in a spacious reserve.
However, in the Russian translation, the meaning was changed. There, the phrase reads: "We traveled across the world. To where unhappy lions live in homemade shelters."
MrBeast sparked controversy over the video about Ukraine (screenshot)
This completely removed any mention of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Social media users interpreted this as an attempt to appease the Russian audience and accused the blogger of covering up obvious facts.
- Weak, typical Western standards. Everything is as usual. Interesting how everyone cracks on the Ukraine/Russia topic… Even Johnny Harris messed up. Where is his second, corrected video?
- @MrBeast, how about telling "good Russians" about all the horrors of the war they support?
- Coward.
- Well, it’s just not as trending as Palestine.
- And in the English version, there’s also nothing about who started the war or why Ukraine is at war, which is causing suffering for the lions.
What is known about MrBeast
MrBeast (real name James Stephen Donaldson) is one of the most famous YouTubers in the world and the most popular creator on the platform.
His channel has hundreds of millions of subscribers and regularly breaks viewership records.
The blogger gained fame through large-scale charity campaigns, cash challenges, and videos where he helps people in difficult situations.
MrBeast (photo: instagram.com/mrbeast)
MrBeast is known for his philanthropic activities. He has funded tree-planting projects, the construction of wells in Africa, and ecosystem restoration.
In 2024, MrBeast topped the list of the world’s highest-paid bloggers.
According to Forbes, he has over 500 million social media followers and earns about $85 million a year.
The YouTuber’s main income comes from advertising, merchandise sales, his chocolate brand Feastables, and other business projects he actively develops.
MrBeast (photo: instagram.com/mrbeast)
