YouTuber MrBeast has returned to social media after remaining silent for the past four days after claiming he had been invited to take part aboard the doomed Titan submersible, which imploded on the way down to explore the Titanic seen in the North Atlantic.
On Thursday, MrBeast posted a picture of himself showcasing his dramatic weight loss.
“When I woke up and realized I was obese, 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 recent tweet seemed to elicit a reaction from Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“Wow – fantastic work.” Keep promoting and inspiring people! Let me know if you’re in LA and want a ride,” the former Mr. Universe and California governor wrote.
It was the first time MrBeast has been heard since he shared a text in a Twitter post on Sunday allegedly showing he had been asked to be on board the submarine to rescue the sunken one Visit the wreck of the Titanic.
On Thursday, MrBeast posted a picture of himself flaunting his dramatic weight loss, prompting a reaction from Arnold Schwarzenegger, who seemed impressed with his work
MrBeast shared a text in a Twitter post on Sunday allegedly showing how he was asked to be on the ship to view the famous Titanic wreck
The Titan submersible (above) catastrophically imploded on the seabed of the Atlantic Ocean during a dive to the Titanic wreck, killing the CEO and four fare-paying passengers
Jimmy Donaldson – aka MrBeast – has denied claims he made up a story about getting an invite to the Titan submarine’s voyage this month – which was aired in a post on Twitter a few days ago
“I was invited to ride the Titanic submarine earlier this month, I said no,” he wrote. “Kind of scary that I might have been there.”
But MrBeast’s claim was immediately questioned after Twitter users questioned why the message box was blue instead of clear – implying the YouTuber lied about such an invitation and actually sent the message to himself.
Others pointed to the poorly executed excerpt of the text, which appeared to have been hastily made.
MrBeast claimed Sunday it was scary to imagine he could be one of the passengers who died.
Several urged Donaldson — a self-proclaimed philanthropist — to scroll through the news himself to provide 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, real name Jimmy Donaldson, claimed that he rejected it.
A cursory look at the comments responding to Thursday’s weight-loss-themed post revealed no further mention of the social media influencer’s previous tweet about inviting him to become a Titan subscriber.
Almost immediately, Twitter users voiced their suspicions — when they asked why the message box was blue instead of clear, they suggested that MrBeast texted himself. Others pointed to the conspicuous harvesting work that seemed hastily done
On Sunday there were many questions about the authenticity of the text.
“Wait…blue bubble?” remarked one user – the first of many to point out that texts received on iPhones 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 badly it’s cropped,” commented another – while a more flippant critic snipped, “Why is the text receipt blue?”[?] Why are you making this up?[?]’
The spate of posts continued for hours, eventually triggering a response from Donaldson — one claiming the theft stemmed from a screenshot his friend sent him after the YouTuber forwarded the alleged correspondence.
“My friend sent me the screenshot when he invited me,” wrote the North Carolina native, who has an estimated fortune of $500 million. “I didn’t think to scroll up and screenshot ours myself to make old texts.”
However, even after the claim, many Twitter users remained unconvinced.
His success is based on extravagant stunts that set him apart from his rivals
Donaldson also quickly expanded his empire and struck a deal with Walmart to sell his Feastables chocolate bar
The 25-year-old is the world’s richest YouTuber with an estimated net worth of more than $500 million.
He’s also the network’s “biggest philanthropist.” His viral videos are based around extravagant stunts in which he gives lavish gifts to unsuspecting members of the public.
Donaldson himself attributes his success to innovative thinking and calculated risk-taking.
He also has a flair 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 quickly gained traction and in 2018 he donated $100,000 worth of products to a homeless shelter.
He has since repeated the dose to an Uber driver, a waitress and people in parking lots.
In one video, he threw $20,000 out of a drone and tipped a pizza delivery boy the house he was planning to deliver to.
Gareth Boyd, head of growth at Finty.com, says Donaldson outgrew other YouTubers because his stunts, which weren’t limited to just charity events, were “completely unlike anything anyone else was doing.”
“Going to a soccer training ground and seeing who can hold onto 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, created video game tournaments, and struck a deal with Walmart to sell his Feastables candy bar.