MrBeast responds to backlash after buying a neighborhood for his workers

A few weeks ago, it was revealed that Jimmy Donaldson, aka Mr. Beast, was buying homes for his employees and family in a neighborhood near Greenville, North Carolina, where he grew up. Despite the good deed and good intentions of the famous YouTuber, critics were not far behind, attacking him on social media.

As reported last week, MrBeast has been buying properties in the same North Carolina neighborhood for himself, his family, and his employees for some time, close to where he grew up. This series of purchases would have taken place over a five-year period, Donaldson bought his first property in the neighborhood in 2018 for about $320,000. The second was purchased in 2020 for $263,000, and the remaining three for nearly $1.5 million. Bottom line: five homes in the same neighborhood for about $2 million.

Since then, MrBeast has received criticism on social media, with some users mentioning that this type of purchase “sounds very culty” or even attacking it as a ploy to create a company town. Donaldson has already responded to one of the comments on social media, mentioning that “I was just helping some people out.”

With Donaldson’s record of philanthropy in recent years, it is clear that he does so with good intentions to support his staff and employees. So much so, in fact, that Chris Tyson himself, one of Mr. Beast’s most important members, has even commented derisively on how his friend helps out.

What is a Company Town?

Historically, company towns were created in the 18th century as a way for companies to bring infrastructure to remote locations in order to attract and retain workers. In some cases, these towns were created to control workers by paying low wages and charging high prices for goods and services in company-owned stores.