MrBeast has ordered a full assessment of the internal culture in his YouTube empire as well as an investigation into “allegations of inappropriate behavior by people in the company," according to a confidential memo obtained by The Associated Press. Addressed to “Team Beast” employees, the message sent Wednesday outlines infrastructure changes including plans to hire a chief human resources officer and require company-wide sensitivity training. The expanded probe signals that troubles inside YouTube's biggest channel could go deeper than the “serious allegations” facing a longtime collaborator whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson.
“As your leader, I take responsibility, and I am committed to continue to improve and evolve my leadership style,” Donaldson wrote. “I recognize that I also need to create a culture that makes all our employees feel safe and allows them to do their best work.” The memo comes after a turbulent few weeks for the YouTuber, long adored by his young fans for freewheeling videos of outrageous giveaways and audacious charitable acts.
Donaldson last week after clips circulated online of past homophobic and racist remarks. An early production of his ambitious game show — set to feature 1,000 competitors and a $5 million grand prize — who described a chaotic set where they lacked regular access to food, water and medication. The memo reveals Donaldson has hired white-shoe law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan to investigate his friend.