Mr Beast Responds To Controversy After Burning Building Stunt

MrBeast, the world’s most followed YouTuber, has defended his latest video after facing heavy criticism online.

The stunt-based production, titled Would You Risk Dying for $500,000, shows professional stuntman Eric escaping a burning building while collecting bags of cash.

The video, uploaded on Saturday, has already drawn more than 45 million views. It features Eric completing seven extreme challenges, including being fired from a cannon into flames, enduring huge explosions, and escaping from what looks like a small house set ablaze.

He eventually secured $350,000 (£260,000).

Social media reaction was divided. Some viewers branded the spectacle dystopian and humiliating, while others argued it was clearly staged and unlikely to have involved real danger.

Responding on X, MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, insisted safety was paramount. He explained that professionals had tested the set-ups, fire suppression systems were in place, and Eric was a trained stuntman.

A pinned comment on the video added that a pyro team oversaw the fire effects and that multiple emergency systems were available but never required.

Donaldson, who has more than 440 million subscribers, has faced controversy before. Last year his Amazon series Beast Games was hit by a lawsuit, while Mexican officials accused him of exploiting Mayan pyramids.

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