MrBeast defends 'Would You Risk Dying for $500,000' stunt video
What's the story
Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, has defended his latest stunt video, Would You Risk Dying for $500,000 (over ₹4cr). The clip features a professional stuntman navigating through a burning building to collect bags of cash. Despite the video's popularity with over 51 million views since its Saturday release, it has drawn criticism for being dangerously irresponsible and potentially harmful to viewers who might attempt to replicate the stunts.
Safety assurance
Donaldson assures fans about safety measures
In response to the backlash, Donaldson took to the social media platform X on Monday. He wrote, "This blew up, if you're curious, obviously we had ventilation for the smoke and a kill switch to cut off the fires." "We had professionals test this extensively, and the guy in the video, as stated, is a professional stuntman." "I take safety more seriously than you could ever imagine."
Twitter Post
See the post here
This blew up, if you’re curious obviously we had ventilation for the smoke and a kill switch to cut off the fires. We had professionals test this extensively and the guy in the video as stated is a professional stunt man. I take safety more serious than you could ever imagine.
— MrBeast (@MrBeast) September 29, 2025
Additional safety measures
More on safety measures taken in the video
A pinned comment on the original YouTube video further clarified the safety measures taken. It read, "We also had a pyro team [specialists in fire effects] controlling the fires and multiple fire suppression methods on every challenge to ensure we could essentially turn off the fire if there was ever an issue." "But our stunt coordinator did an amazing job as always." "Just wanted to be transparent with you all since I saw some concern!"
Response
Netizens call out the YouTuber
One user wrote under Donaldson's X post, "Hi, firefighter here. Don't do this again, please. Even if it is a controlled environment, something can always happen." Another questioned, "Wait, did you literally let 250k burn (in the video)? That's just sad and maddening." A third netizen said, "If you think that 'safety' is the problem here, you are beyond saving."
Business and controversies
Donaldson's other ventures and controversies
Apart from his YouTube channel, which boasts over 440 million subscribers, Donaldson has several other business ventures. These include a fast-food chain called MrBeast Burger and an Amazon TV game show called Beast Games. However, he has also faced legal issues in the past. Last year, some contestants of Beast Games sued him for alleged exploitation during filming. Donaldson dismissed it as being "blown out of proportion."