YouTuber MrBeast has returned to social media after going quiet for the past four days after claiming he was invited to be on the doomed Titan submarine that imploded on its way down to see the Titanic in the North Atlantic.
On Thursday, MrBeast posted a photo showing off his dramatic weight loss.
“I woke up and realized I was obese, so I started lifting and walking 12,500 steps a day. I still have a long way to go, but I’m happy with my progress so far,” he wrote.
His latest tweet seemed to provoke a reaction from Arnold Schwarzenegger.
‘Wow – fantastic work. Keep pumping and inspiring people! Let me know if you’re in LA and want a ride,” the former Mr. Universe and governor of California wrote.
It was the first time that MrBeast had been heard from since he shared a text in a Twitter post on Sunday claiming he had been asked to be on the submarine for a mission to see the sunken Titanic wreck.
On Thursday, MrBeast posted a photo of himself showing off his dramatic weight loss, prompting a backlash from Arnold Schwarzenegger who seemed impressed with his work.
MrBeast shared a text in a Twitter post on Sunday claiming to show how he had been asked to be on the ship for a mission to see the famous Titanic wreckage
The submarine Titan (above) catastrophically imploded while diving to the wreckage of the Titanic on the Atlantic Ocean seabed, killing the CEO and four paying passengers
Jimmy Donaldson – aka MrBeast – is battling claims he fabricated a story about receiving an invitation to join the Titan submarine’s voyage this month – aired a few days ago in a post on Twitter
“I was invited to ride the Titanic submarine earlier this month, I said no,” he wrote. “A little scary that I could have been there.”
But MrBeast’s claim was immediately called into question after Twitter users questioned why the message box was blue instead of transparent – implying that the YouTuber had lied about such an invitation and had in fact sent the message to himself.
Others cited the poorly executed text cropping – which seemed to have been done in a hurry.
MrBeast claimed on Sunday that it was scary to think he could have been one of the passengers killed.
Several urged Donaldson – a self-described philanthropist – to scroll through the messages himself as proof of his invitation.
A response from MrBeast to the “text” was not included – but in an accompanying caption, the world’s most popular YouTuber, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, claimed to reject it.
A cursory glance at the responses to Thursday’s weight loss post made no further mention of the social media influencer’s previous tweet about the Titan sub-invite.
Almost immediately, Twitter users voiced their suspicions — wondering why the message box was blue instead of clear, suggesting that MrBeast had sent himself the text. Others mentioned the eye-catching harvesting job – which seemed to have been done in a hurry
On Sunday there were many questions about the authenticity of the text.
“Wait… Blue orb?” noted one user – the first of many to point out that on iPhones, texts received from other Apple users are generally clear.
“How did you manage to get a blue message on iMessage?” wrote another, amid speculation about the message’s legitimacy.
“It’s weird how it’s cropped so badly,” another commented – while a more light-hearted opponent snapped, “why is the text receipt blue[?] why are you making this up[?]’
The deluge of messages continued for hours, eventually provoking a response from Donaldson – one who claimed the grab came from a screenshot his friend sent him, after the YouTuber forwarded the alleged correspondence.
“My friend sent me the screenshot from when he invited me,” the North Carolina resident – who is worth an estimated $500 million – wrote: “I didn’t think to scroll up and see a screenshot of our old texts myself. to make.’
But even after the claim, many Twitter users remained unconvinced.
His success is based on extravagant stunts that set him apart from his rivals
Donaldson has also quickly expanded his empire, striking a deal with Walmart to sell his chocolate bar, Feastables.
The 25-year-old is the world’s richest YouTuber, with an estimated net worth of over $500 million.
He is also the channel’s “biggest philanthropist.” His viral videos are based on extravagant stunts in which he offers lavish gifts to unwitting members of the public.
Donaldson himself has credited his success to innovative thinking and calculated risk-taking.
He also has an eye for new opportunities and brand deals, expanding his YouTube empire into the food and beverage sector.
It started small, giving away cash prizes to members of his community, but it quickly gained momentum and in 2018 he donated $100,000 worth of products to a homeless shelter.
He has since repeated the dose for an Uber driver, a waitress, and people in parking lots.
In one video, he dropped $20,000 from a drone and gave a pizza man the house he was delivering to as a tip.
Gareth Boyd, head of growth at Finty.com, says Donaldson outgrew other YouTubers because his stunts, which aren’t limited to charitable giving, were “totally and completely different from anything else anyone was doing.”
“Going to a football field and seeing who can hold a plane the longest — what other TV show does that?” he added.
A recent project includes MrBeast Burger, a delivery service that sold more than a million burgers before Donaldson even uploaded a video.
He’s also launched smartphone apps, started video game tournaments, and struck a deal with Walmart to sell his Feastables chocolate bar.