- The CEO of MrBeast's company has compared it to Disney in pitching prospective investors.
- Like Disney, Beast Industries is looking to proliferate Beast Universe IP into different categories.
- MrBeast isn't pitching a theme park yet — but other YouTubers have.
MrBeast wants to build a Disney for the next generation.
The CEO of the YouTuber's company, Beast Industries, has explicitly made the comparison when pitching prospective investors interested in its latest funding round, two people familiar with the discussions told Business Insider.
Jeffrey Housenbold, who joined the company in May, is presiding over Beast Industries as it looks to raise hundreds of millions in fresh funding at a $5 billion valuation, as Bloomberg reported in February.
A representative for MrBeast did not respond to a request for comment.
Disney built its empire by proliferating its storied IP into different categories. While its entertainment division — comprising its movie studios, TV networks, and streaming services — drove $41.2 billion in revenue last year, the experiences division — including parks, cruises, and consumer products — was close behind at $34.2 billion.
A February 2025 Beast Industries pitch deck obtained by BI illuminates how the kid-friendly creator, who is YouTube's top star with over 380 million followers, is similarly looking to move beyond his roots.
"Beast Industries is the next generation diversified media, consumer product goods and services conglomerate," the first slide in the deck reads.
Per the deck, Beast Industries is exploring ways to "diversify away from MrBeast being on camera" via new IP within the "Beast Universe." The deck said that in the first quarter of this year, an in-house writers' room would begin to create new IP for toys, gaming, animation, comics, and merch.
Independent journalist Simon Owens wrote in his Media Newsletter that Donaldson often costars with longtime friends in his YouTube videos, who could be ripe for picking in terms of fresh IP.
On the consumer products front, Donaldson's current portfolio is dominated by food — namely his chocolate brand Feastables, which the deck says drove $215 million in net revenue last year — but his toy brand MrBeast Lab also drove $65 million in sales in its first six months.
Donaldson isn't pitching a theme park yet, but other YouTubers have. Popular trick shot channel Dude Perfect, which raised more than $100 million in VC funding last year, previously teased a theme park venture called Dude Perfect World and just unveiled its new Texas headquarters — complete with a putting course, basketball court, and production facilities.
The comparisons between Beast Industries and Disney come as the Mouse House is losing its monopoly on kids amid YouTube's ascension.
MoffettNathanson analyst Michael Nathanson recently projected that YouTube is on track to eclipse Disney — minus its parks business — as the biggest media company in the world this year.
