TOGETHER WITH

It’s Tuesday and the Biden-Harris campaign has debuted its very own Truth Social account. Deputy campaign manager Rob Flaherty’s explanation: “sometimes you just do things for the lolz.”

BEAST LEVEL

MrBeast did these 5 things to score 100 million subscribers in just 15 months:

MrBeast has broken plenty of YouTube records in his time, but becoming the second-ever individual creator to hit 100 million subscribers was a big one.

Now, just 15 months later, the Beast has done it again.

MrBeast (aka Jimmy Donaldson) initially broke 100 million subs back in June 2022, when his channel was bringing in roughly 1 billion views per month. As of yesterday, Donaldson has doubled both those milestones—meaning he now claims around 200 million subscribers and 2 billion monthly views.

That’s a lot to accomplish in 15 months, especially given everything else Donaldson has gotten up to since last June (i.e. expanding Feastables, opening an IRL MrBeast Burger location, publicly supporting Kris Tyson through her coming out, collaborating with Nerf, launching a creator-focused training program at East Carolina University).

So, how did MrBeast get it all done?

Night founder-slash-CEO Reed Duchscher (aka Donaldson’s manager) identified five core factors behind the YouTuber’s rise to 200 million subs:

1. He went multilingual. According to Duchscher, Donaldson “fully dubbed his content in more than 15 languages.”
   
   

2. He “appealed to a broad global audience” by creating videos like ‘$1 vs $1M Hotel’ and ‘Every Country on Earth Fights For $250K.’
   
   

3. He’s been “way more consistent with content” and has been “uploading way more videos.”
   
   

4. “He put a focus on other platforms outside of YouTube,” including TikTok and Instagram.
   
   

5. He teamed up with celebs. Duchscher says Donaldson “started to incorporate well-known celebrities into videos who appeal to all ages: Tom Brady, The Rock, Jay Leno, Cody Ko, and Miranda Cosgrove.”

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

How does Spotter’s creator funding process really work? Here’s what the world’s top YouTubers have to say:

From brand-building to content production, YouTubers can partner with Spotter to achieve just about anything. But how does the process actually work?

Here’s a quick FAQ from 3 top creators:​

1. What can I do with capital from Spotter? 🤔
Spotter is all about empowering creators—meaning you can spend your new capital to invest in your channel. Here’s how Lizzy Capri used her funds: “I've been able to buy my very own content house and spent the last four months building out a whole studio warehouse where my team can work and grow.”

2. How long does the funding process take? ⌛
Here’s how Airrack described Spotter’s fast-paced process: “They were ready to give me the money that they had offered me within like two business days, and they understood that this industry moves quickly and that I don't have a lot of time.”

3. How do I know if Spotter is a good fit? 🤝
MrBeast’s answer: “If you're trying to reinvest and grow your channel and you have tight cash margins, or you just want to expand, and you want to test new things, it is—in my opinion—a great way just to get money in the bank.”

Ready to start funding your future? Hit the button below to learn more:

Get started with Spotter →​​

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Is Paris Hilton the savior X needs to keep on #sliving? Hosts Josh Cohen and Lauren Schnipper dive into the platform’s new content deal on the latest installment of Creator Upload. (Tubefilter)
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• LinkedIn’s latest round of job cuts will reportedly affect more than 650 workers around the world. (TechCrunch)
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• Eligible Twitch streamers can now post Instagram-style Stories lasting 48 hours. (Gizmodo)
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• YouTube has announced an AI-driven advertising package that will allow brands to “automatically identify the most popular YouTube videos related to a specific cultural moment.” (TechCrunch)

TO THE MOON & BACK

Portal A is going “back to its innovative roots” with 9 experimental new projects

The production company behind upside-down cooking tutorials and ABBA music video remakes is back with more innovative digital programming. As part of its $500,000 investment in experimental content, Portal A will back a slate of nine new projects through its Moonshots program.

Portal A’s upcoming content slate will place a heavy emphasis on emerging tech like AI and short-form video while spanning an eclectic array of platforms and subjects—including everything from psychedelic therapy to Asian American snacks and bite-sized horror stories.

Here’s a sneak peek at a few of those projects (courtesy of Portal A):

• Frequently Used: In this 10-week TikTok series run, social media psychic Dina Laweena uncovers hidden truths by exploring people’s most private information: their most frequently used emojis.
  
  

• Daytona 500 of Ice Fishing: Directed by Portal A’s own Jackson Adams, this documentary short uncovers the personalities behind the midwest’s oddest celebration and the world’s largest ice fishing competition.
  
  

• Tasting Notes From Our Childhood (created by Portal A’s Angela Chang and Karen Janssen): A design-forward Instagram channel built to celebrate Asian culture through a nostalgic exploration of quintessential Asian American childhood snacks.
  

Check out our full article here for a run-down of all nine programs.

WATCH THIS 📺

DanAndPhilGAMES is rising from the dead

There’s a reason “Dan and Phil” spent the better part of yesterday trending on X. On Sunday, 2010s legend Phil Lester encouraged the internet to mosey over to YouTube, where he and Dan Howell had a special surprise waiting on their beloved DanAndPhilGAMES account.

The big event: a funeral for the iconic gaming channel.

A video entitled “Saying Goodbye Forever” probably wasn’t what Dan and Phil fans had in mind—but those who watched all the way through reaped some major rewards.

The three-minute funeral was officiated by Father Jacksepticeye and concluded with something that only bodes well on YouTube: the deceased—aka Dan and Phil’s co-parented Sim, Dil—burst from the channel’s coffin to deliver a final promise: “DanAndPhilGAMES IS BACK FROM THE DEAD.”

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen. Drew Baldwin helped edit, too. It's a team effort.