MrBeast has a few gripes about Facebook — and got to deliver them straight to the source.
In a joint interview on the Colin and Samir YouTube channel, MrBeast — YouTube’s top star, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson — said one thing that “really sucks” about Facebook Video is the inability to import audio tracks in different languages.
“If I was CEO, that’s one of the first things I’d fast-track,” he said.
Donaldson said that on YouTube, he can upload multiple audio tracks in different languages that autoplay in different regions. The inability to do so on Facebook has made his viewership vastly lower, given that 70% of his audience doesn’t speak English.
As a result, Donaldson’s most successful videos on Facebook don’t feature any talking.
“If I say a word, boom, the viewership’s going to get cut by more than half, because then it’s only going to recommend it to people who speak English,” Donaldson said.
Zuckerberg agreed, noting that most of the people using Meta’s services don’t speak English. He added that AI would supercharge Facebook’s dubbing aspirations and that such tools could materialize within a year.
At the same time, Donaldson cheered some of his wins on Facebook, noting he’d gained more followers than anyone else on the platform in 2024. He also lauded the platform’s short-form video monetization.
“Weirdly, it’s like two times higher than any other platform,” Donaldson said.
In addition to talking shop, Donaldson shared how the two met for the first time on “a random Zoom.” Donaldson said Zuckerberg invited him to his lake — presumably referring to his Lake Tahoe property — in order to train and do MMA.
“I was so shocked because I was expecting him to be way more nerdy,” Donaldson said.
When Zuckerberg was asked if he had any suggestions for Donaldson in building his company, Beast Industries, Zuckerberg applauded Donaldson’s creativity and quipped, “I think if you got into MMA content, it would be even better.”
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.
