Latest news with #INAH
New York Post
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Billionaire YouTuber MrBeast ‘borrowing' money from mom for his wedding
Even billionaires need handouts sometimes. MrBeast — who's worth an estimated $1 billion — claims he's cash-strapped and asked his mom for money to pay for his upcoming wedding to fellow content creator Thea Booysen. MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, addressed his finances on X in response to a post that described him as 'the only billionaire under 30 to have not inherited his wealth.' 9 MrBeast proposed to content creator Thea Booysen in December 2024. mrbeast/Instagram 'I personally have very little money because I reinvest everything (I think this year we'll spend around a quarter of a billion on content),' the Internet sensation, who boasts over 400 million subscribers, wrote on Sunday, June 1. 'Ironically i'm actually borrowing $ from my mom to pay for my upcoming wedding lol,' he continued in his candid X post, adding, 'But sure, on paper the businesses I own are worth a lot.' MrBeast has his hands in several projects, including the competition series 'Beast Games,' which gave its first season winner a whopping $10 million in prize money, and his Feastables chocolate brand. He recently attacked Trump's 'brutal' tariffs, informing his fans that it would be 'way cheaper' to produce his ethically sourced chocolate overseas. However, he's also been at the center of several lawsuits, including one that involves his snack brand. 9 The billionaire claims he's borrowing money from his mom to pay for the wedding. Honey 9 'I personally have very little money because I reinvest everything,' he admitted on X. MrBeast/X 9 MrBeast and Thea Booysen recently teased a possible island wedding. mrbeast/Instagram In May, the Mexican government sued the media house behind MrBeast's popular video titled, 'I Explored 2000 Year Old Ancient Temples,' in which he hawked his Feastables outside the Mayan pyramids, calling them a 'special Mayan desert' and 'the only Mayan-approved snack on the planet.' While the government admitted that MrBeast and the company were issued a permit to film at sites including the Mayan pyramid Chichén Itzá near Cancun, it claimed he was not given permission for commercial use. They claimed the YouTuber violated the terms of an archeological permit and profited from the 'heritage that belongs to all Mexicans.' 9 MrBeast was sued last month by the Mexican government. mrbeast/Instagram 9 He was accused of violating the terms of an archeological permit and profiting from the 'heritage that belongs to all Mexicans.' mrbeast/Instagram But he denied those allegations. 'This video … was meant to highlight these treasured Mayan sites in Mexico,' a spokesperson for MrBeast told The Post. 'No advertisement material was shot on any archaeological sites overseen by INAH (Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History), so it is unfortunate that this has turned into a political issue.' MrBeast was also sued by five 'Beast Games' contestants in September 2024 for alleged 'chronic mistreatment,' sexual harassment and more. 9 He was also sued by a group of 'Beast Games' competitors in 2024. mrbeast/Instagram In response, a spokesperson for MrBeast's company exclusively told The Post, 'The MrBeast promotional video shoot, which included over 2000 participants, was unfortunately complicated by the CrowdStrike incident, extreme weather, and other unexpected logistical and communications issues, which we are currently reviewing, but we are grateful that virtually all of those invited to Toronto for our next production have enthusiastically accepted our invitation. 'We have communicated directly with 97% of the 2000 people who attended to ask for feedback, have launched a formal review of the process, and have taken steps to ensure that we learn from this experience and we are excited to welcome hundreds of men and women to the world's largest game show in history.' 9 MrBeast and his future bride met in her home country, South Africa, in 2022. Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize 9 The pair said their wedding will be 'more private,' with only friends and family. thea_booysen/Instagram The YouTuber and Booysen met in 2022 while he was visiting her home country, South Africa, and have been going strong ever since. The pair recently teased their upcoming wedding, revealing it won't be a show for the world to see. 'This will definitely be more family and friends — definitely more private,' MrBeast told People. 'I don't take much vacation because of how hard I work, so I definitely want to make sure that the wedding will be a time to celebrate with her and spend time with friends and family who we really enjoy being with. It will be the ultimate way to take some time away and enjoy things.' The future MrsBeast also shared that they're toying with the idea of exchanging vows on an island. 'We're thinking of doing it somewhere on an island where we're far away from just about everybody,' she said. 'We're not going to try and have a big, extravagant wedding. It's going to be nice, but it's certainly going to be intimate [with] close family and friends.'
ABC News
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
MrBeast Youtuber James Donaldson denies wrongdoing over Mayan ruins video
YouTuber MrBeast has denied he violated Mexican government permits while filming a video at an ancient archaeological site. James Donaldson, who boasts more than 300 million subscribers on YouTube, posted a video last week that showed him and several friends touring the inside of the ruins, visiting an archaeological site after dark and climbing up a Mayan pyramid. Chichén Itzá is a complex of Mayan ruins on the Yucatán Peninsula and is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Visitors are welcome to view the site but are not to climb the pyramids or visit after nightfall. "I can't believe the government is letting us do this," Donaldson says at one point during the video. "Nobody gets to go where we're going." Shortly after the video was released, Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History released a statement saying that a production company that worked with Donaldson violated the terms of the agreement by monetising the video. INAH said it was lodging the suit against the firm called Full Circle Media. "The permission granted to Full Circle Media … did not authorise … the use of images of the archaeological site for for-profit advertisements of private brands," INAH said. The video shows Donaldson displaying one of his brand's chocolate bars and calling it the "only Mayan-approved snack on the planet". When asked about the incident, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she wanted a report about what happened. "The information is that he had permission from the INAH, and now we need the INAH to tell us under what conditions this permission was granted," she said. "And if the permission was violated, then what sanctions will be imposed." Mexican Culture Secretary Claudia Curiel said Donaldson was authorised to publish "false information or use images of heritage sites for commercial advertising". But the YouTuber denied this was in violation of his agreement with the INAH. In a statement posted to his X account, Donaldson said he wanted to "clear some false things being said". "Me and my team have great respect for the Mexican and Mayan culture and people," it said. "We did this video to get people all over the world excited to learn more about their culture, much like we did with our Pyramids video". He said he and his team filmed with full permits, followed guidelines and had representatives from government agencies following them as well as archaeologists to make sure the information they were sharing was accurate. "They were aware of us mentioning Feastables in the video but for respect of the sites, it was filmed off site from any national monuments. "The dinner scene where I made the Feastables joke was not near any Mayan temples." Lauda Sansores, the governor of Mexico's Campeche State, took to social media to thank Donaldson for visiting. Mr Donaldson referred to her comments in his statement, saying: "This video represents enormous publicity for the state, more than 56 million views in just four days." The video shows high production with audio and video editing and it is unclear how much of it was actually shot at the historical site. Later in a supplementary statement provided to The New York Times, the INAH appeared to soften its stance on the matter. "Despite the distorted information provided by the YouTuber, the dissemination of this type of material may motivate young audiences in Mexico and around the world to learn about our ancestral cultures and visit archaeological sites."
India Today
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
MrBeast addresses backlash over Mexico vlog, says filming followed all rules
YouTuber MrBeast reacted to the backlash over his recent video shot in ancient Mayan sites, saying he followed all protocols and had official permission during Donaldson, widely known as MrBeast, responded to the controversy surrounding his video titled 'I Survived 100 Hours in an Ancient Temple', which premiered on 10 May. The video showed him and his team exploring archaeological locations in Southeastern Mexico, swimming in cenotes, dining on Maya-style cuisine, and spending a night inside a While the video garnered millions of views shortly after its release, it also drew strong criticism from Mexican officials and archaeologists. Several social media users also accused the content creator of using Mexico's cultural heritage for profit. The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) clarified that while it had permitted filming, it had not approved the monetisation of the content or the use of the sites to promote MrBeast's the weekend, MrBeast issued a statement denying the accusations. He said the goal of the video was to raise global interest in Mexican and Mayan culture.'I've seen a lot of stories about our recent video in Mexico and wanted to clear some false things being said,' MrBeast wrote in a post on X, adding, 'Me and my team have great respect for the Mexican and Mayan culture and people. We are not and have never been sued by them lol. That is false and it saddens me to see people spreading lies.'advertisementHe clarified that the team operated with full permits, had officials and archaeologists on-site throughout the filming, and respected all rules. He even shared a screenshot of a message from the state governor supporting the production.'They were aware of us mentioning Feastables in the video but for respect of the sites, it was filmed off site from any national monuments,' he explained. 'The dinner scene where I made the Feastables joke was not near any Mayan temples.'MrBeast also revealed that his team helped fund wells and water projects in the region. He mentioned working with INAH to support local archaeological work. 'We also never planned on sharing this, but as always my hand is forced by false headlines,' he YouTuber expressed disappointment at how the story was presented online. 'I hope to go back someday and continue to share how awesome the culture is with the world, sad to see this get distorted.'Take a look at the post here: Officials, however, remained firm. Mexico's Ministry of Culture said it would look into sanctions and potential legal action. The minister even said that cultural heritage must not be used for commercial clarified that it had issued formal approval for the visit and had officials on-site to supervise. It also confirmed that the filming complied with regulations. However, it said that certain scenes, such as a helicopter landing and drone activity inside the Kukulkan pyramid, appeared to be fabricated in Claudia Sheinbaum said the broadcast was authorised but asked the agency to clarify the terms of the maintained that he intended to honour and promote Mexican heritage, not exploit Reel
NDTV
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
MrBeast Responds To Backlash Over Ancient Mexican Temple Video: "It Saddens Me To See..."
Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, has reacted to the controversy surrounding a vlog he recorded while visiting ancient Mayan cities in Southeastern Mexico. The YouTuber released a video titled "I Survived 100 Hours in an Ancient Temple," on May 10, and it received millions of views in no time. In the clip, MrBeast and his team explore historic sites, swim in cenotes, eat Maya-style food and spend a night in a temple. The video drew condemnation from Mexican officials, archaeologists and the public, who accused the YouTuber of exploiting the cultural heritage. The video was also criticised by Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), which said that they had given MrBeast permission to film at the sites, but not to monetise the content or use it to advertise his products. Now, over the weekend, MrBeast released a statement, announcing his true intention of bringing eyes to the country and revealing that there was no issue with filming as he got permission from the government agencies and even had archaeologists walking them through everything. He also shared a picture showing a message from the state governor where filming took place that defended MrBeast and his team. I've seen a lot of stories about our recent video in Mexico and wanted to clear some false things being said. Me and my team have great respect for the Mexican and Mayan culture and people. We did this video to get people all over the world excited to learn more about their… — MrBeast (@MrBeast) May 18, 2025 "I've seen a lot of stories about our recent video in Mexico and wanted to clear some false things being said. Me and my team have great respect for the Mexican and Mayan culture and people. We did this video to get people all over the world excited to learn more about their culture, much like we did with our Pyramids video. We are not and have never been sued by them lol. That is false and it saddens me to see people spreading lies," MrBeast wrote on X. "We filmed with full permits, followed guidelines, had representatives from government agencies following us, Mexican archeologists to make sure we were accurate, AND representatives from the sites to ensure we were following the rules. The governor of the state we shot in even came out in our defense," he added. The YouTuber further clarified that officials knew he would be promoting his chocolate brand and made sure not to film any content near national monuments. "They were aware of us mentioning Feastables in the video but for respect of the sites, it was filmed off site from any national monuments. The dinner scene where I made the Feastables joke was not near any mayan temples," he wrote. The YouTuber also shared the philanthropic work that his team conducted while out in Mexico. "We also never planned on sharing this, but as always my hand is forced by false headlines - behind the scenes we funded wells and water projects in the state, I've also been working with INAH on a fund to support local Mexican archeology and new discoveries because I wanted to help spread the culture as a thanks for allowing us to film," MrBeast said. "I hope to go back someday and continue to share how awesome the culture is with the world, sad to see this get distorted," he concluded. Notably, MrBeast's statement comes after the Ministry of Culture in Mexico said it would impose sanctions and take legal action against the YouTuber for allegedly misrepresenting events and violating the intended use of cultural heritage sites. The INAH responded to the controversy by stating that the visit and the recording were conducted in response to "formal requests". The government agency stated that their staff was present during the shoot to guarantee site safety and adherence to preservation guidelines. It also confirmed that the filming was done in accordance with the law. But it emphasised that several scenes, including the claimed helicopter landing, drone flights inside the Kukulkan pyramid, and the usage of an old mask, were made up in post-production. Separately, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the "broadcast" was permitted, but she asked the INAH to report "under what conditions this permit was granted."
Newsweek
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
MrBeast's Team Responds to Mexico Drama: 'Unfortunate'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A spokesperson for MrBeast told Newsweek that it is "unfortunate" a video in which he explores ancient Mexican pyramids has become a "political issue." The video was criticized by Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), which said that they had given MrBeast permission to film at the sites, but not to monetize the content or use it to advertise his products. Newsweek has reached out to the INAH outside regular working hours via email for comment. Why It Matters MrBeast, aka Jimmy Donaldson, is the world's most popular YouTuber, with 396 million subscribers on the platform as of reporting. On May 10, MrBeast uploaded a video titled "I Explored 2,000 Year Old Ancient Temples," where he explored ancient Mayan cities including Calakmul and Chichén Itzá in southeastern Mexico. MrBeast at the Love, Death + Robots—NY Special Screening at Paris Theater on May 13, 2025 in New York City. MrBeast at the Love, Death + Robots—NY Special Screening at Paris Theater on May 13, 2025 in New York Netflix After its release, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum requested clarifications on the conditions under which the permissions for the video were granted. Following this, the INAH shared an official complaint. What To Know The spokesperson for MrBeast said that it is "unfortunate that this has turned into a political issue." "This video, similar to the one of the pyramids in Egypt, was meant to highlight these treasured Mayan sites in Mexico." "No advertisement material was shot on any archaeological sites overseen by INAH so it is unfortunate that this has turned into a political issue. Hopefully it can lead to a productive dialogue and encourages people to visit these unique historical treasures." MrBeast wrote on X that he and his team "have great respect for the Mexican and Mayan culture and people." The complaint from the INAH said that though the institution was pleased by the interests of YouTubers and young people, they "strongly condemn" those who "take advantage of the good disposition of the institutions to violate the terms of the authorizations granted." They said that they were launching an "administrative lawsuit, against Full Circle Media, a firm they say worked with MrBeast. They said the permit issued to Full Circle Media, which they said is representative of MrBeast, "did not authorize the publication of false information or the use of the image of archaeological sites for private profit commercials." MrBeast also addressed the video in a post on X, where he said that his team had "filmed with full permits, followed guidelines, had representatives from government agencies following us, Mexican archaeologists to make sure we were accurate, AND representatives from the sites to ensure we were following the rules." The post which has been viewed 2.5 million times as of reporting, continued, "We are not and have never been sued by them lol. That is false and it saddens me to see people spreading lies." He added, "They were aware of us mentioning Feastables in the video but for respect of the sites, it was filmed off site from any national monuments. The dinner scene where I made the Feastables joke was not near any mayan temples." The 27-year-old also said that "behind the scenes we funded wells and water projects in the state, I've also been working with INAH on a fund to support local Mexican archaeology and new discoveries." What People Are Saying MrBeast, in a post on X: "I've seen a lot of stories about our recent video in Mexico and wanted to clear some false things being said. Me and my team have great respect for the Mexican and Mayan culture and people. We did this video to get people all over the world excited to learn more about their culture, much like we did with our Pyramids video." Layda Sansores, the Governor of Campeche on X: "We are deeply grateful to @MrBeast for visiting Calakmul and sharing the grandeur of our Mayan culture with the world … MrBeast's team acted at all times with utmost responsibility and respect toward our ancestral heritage." The National Institute of Archaeology and History in a social media statement: "The INAH condemns those with commercial interests and private profit purposes, who dare to deviate the value of archaeological sites, which are the legacy of our origin cultures and pride of our nation. The heritage of the nation, which is public by its nature, cannot be exploited by commercial enterprises. What's Next MrBeast wrote in his post to X, "I hope to go back someday and continue to share how awesome the culture is with the world."
