MrBeast Buys Entire Neighborhood

Just outside a quiet Greenville, NC neighborhood, 25-year-old YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson—famously known as MrBeast—is buying up homes for himself, his family, and his employees. 

With an accumulated net worth of $54 million, Donaldson has more than 40 billion views combined for his videos centered around expensive stunts, pranks, luxury experiences, and huge cash giveaways. 

Donaldson’s globally-recognized persona, MrBeast, became the most-subscribed YouTube performer in the world, taking the title from vlogger PewDiePie in November 2022. 

And sure, he can afford homes many times the value of the one he’s currently living in—a modest two-bedroom he purchased for under $320,000—but why do that when you can buy an entire neighborhood to keep your family and employees near?

Donaldson bought the first home in 2018. Since then, he’s bought out four other homes surrounding his own, with one hold-out remaining. 

Quietly buying out a neighborhood

In the last few years, Donaldson, who has built a global reputation for his philanthropic efforts (including helping the deaf hear) and his viral YouTube videos, has bought five homes in the area he grew up in, centered around a cul-de-sac. 

And while his net worth is high, the homes he’s purchased thus far have been modest and unassuming.  By all appearances, when Donaldson isn’t busy with his YouTube channel or his philanthropic pursuits, he’s living pretty much like an average middle-class American—or one with ample means, simple tastes, and nothing to prove to anyone. 

Not exactly Hollywood-glam

For someone who showcases luxury experiences on his YouTube channel, he seems to prefer a less sensational lifestyle. His two-story, 3,090 square foot home gives him plenty of privacy and is packed with features that scream “domestic paradise”: 

• A kitchen with granite countertops, a breakfast bar, a breakfast room, and a pantry. 
• A family room with a gas log fireplace
• A main level master suite with an ensuite bath featuring a double vanity, a whirlpool tub, and shower
• A second level with three additional bedrooms, a laundry room, and a bonus room. 
• Four bathrooms (including the master ensuite)
• Amenities like a screened-in rear porch, a patio, a basketball court, and a separate storage building

Donaldson paid more than the usual price for each of the other four homes, with the exception of his second, which he purchased in 2020 for $263,000. The remaining three homes he bought off-market for a combined $1.45 million. 

One hold-out left

There’s just one house left, and Donaldson’s former neighbor, Aaron Bowden, has a theory as to why the homeowners are staying put for now. Considering the school district is one of the best in the area, he suspects they’re waiting until their kids finish school. 

Bowden had lived in the home he sold Donaldson since 2016. His reasons for selling it were “business-related,” and he and Donaldson negotiated back and forth before reaching a deal last year.