In July 2023, Jimmy ‘MrBeast’ Donaldson sued Virtual Dining Concepts, the ghost kitchen producing his MrBeast Burgers fast food chain. According to the suit, the burgers were often “inedible” and delivered late or with missing items. In response, Virtual Dining Concepts counter-sued the billionaire for $100 million.
As this lawsuit has continued to unfold, text messages penned by Donaldson were released. In these messages, released in an Oct. 22 report from The Information, Donaldson discussed the rapidly deteriorating state of his partnerships.
Some of these messages were sent to Trey Steiger, the co-founder of Congo Brands. Congo Brands is the company behind confections like influencer Logan Paul’s Prime Energy Drink and the snack brand Lunchly, recently released by MrBeast, Paul, and creator KSI.
What did MrBeast say about MrBeast Burgers?
In one especially striking text exchange, which took place in March 2023, Donaldson said: “I’m just never going to promote [MrBeast Burgers] again and let it slowly die, fuck those pieces of shit. If they give me control, I’d make them rich. But instead they hold me hostage and try to make me their bitch.”
During this conversation, Donaldson also said that he made up 60% of Virtual Dining Concepts’ revenue and claimed: “Without me there is no company so they will sue instantly to keep me in line.”
He also said that he had “no control” over MrBeast Burgers and claimed that he couldn’t change more than 10% of the menu every six months.
As journalist Kaya Yurieff of The Information highlights, this lawsuit demonstrates the risk involved for creators looking to sign partnerships with third-party businesses. In addition to lacking creative control, creators can also end up unable to oversee things like quality control.
If someone as powerful as MrBeast can still experience difficulties working with third-party companies, then it’s definitely something other creators should be wary of.
