The MrBeast Blueprint: How YouTube Stars Like Matthew Beem Went Broke For Their Big Break

Matthew Beem now has over 4.7M subscribers on YouTubeRicardo Ramirez “I’m out like $40,000. I’m offering money that I didn’t even have. I had to take a personal loan and my credit wasn’t the best.” My heart sank as the 26-year-old Matthew Beem told me how he started his YouTube channel while working as a $9-per-hour car mechanic. Born and raised in Colorado, Beem is part of the 33% of Gen Z whose top career choice is becoming a full-time YouTuber. I spoke with him and several top YouTube stars to hear the stories beyond the statistics. Namely, what’s the upfront financial – and emotional – costs to become a YouTuber today? How has Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson, who pours millions of dollars into his YouTube videos, influenced aspiring creators? And what does that all mean for the future of the creator economy? “They’re paying me $9 an hour,” Beem said of the first job he took to fund his YouTube channel. “That was basically cleaning the toilet, the cars, and sweeping up the shop. Over the course of seven years, I worked my way up into different roles until eventually I became the painter [at the car shop] so I
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