MrBeast's presidential ambition: Social media star eyes future run
YouTuber MrBeast confirmed that he intends to run for the presidency of the USA. Is running a country by businesspeople a good idea?
YouTube star MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, expressed his ambition to run for the presidency of the United States during an episode of Theo Von's podcast. At 26 years old, Donaldson has an enormous online following as the most popular YouTuber globally. He also manages several business ventures, including Lunchly, Feastables, and Beast Games, while engaging 335 million followers.
MrBeast wants to become president of the United States
When Von inquired if MrBeast still plans to run for president, he confirmed he would likely do it later in life. "If I were to do it, it would probably be like when I am 50 or 60. I would need to accomplish everything I want to in business and stuff and probably take 10 years and do something at the local and state level and work my way up," he stated. He added that he would prefer to get involved at the local and state levels first and then aim for higher positions.
Von's question was based on the fact that in July 2024, MrBeast joked on the X platform about running for president if the age requirement was lowered from 35 years. He wrote: "If we lower the age to run for president I’ll jump in the race." His tweet went viral. Donaldson added that, if elected, he would focus on managing the world's largest economy. This generated considerable interest among his fans, who started showing support for his bold plans.
Why is running a country by business a bad idea?
Contrary to a fairly common belief, efficient state management does not equate to managing the economy. Certainly not in the manner businesses are managed, which aims solely at maximizing profits. The role of a democratic state is to ensure the safety of its citizens, not just territorially but also individually, including economically.
A fitting example of where running a country through business leads is the United States, where both parties receive sponsorship from billionaires. One of them was re-elected as president in November 2024. The wealthiest economy in the world is also a place of enormous social inequalities. According to statista.com, the richest 10% of Americans own 70% of the country's wealth. Meanwhile, 30% of U.S. residents live in poverty or just above the poverty threshold. This results in growing frustrations and social tensions, for which there is no solution from either party funded by billionaire donations.
