MrBeast and Rockefeller Foundation launch youth-focused push against child labor
The YouTube creator MrBeast and the Rockefeller Foundation have launched a strategic partnership aimed at rallying young people to support vulnerable children worldwide and to raise awareness about child labor in global supply chains. The collaboration pairs MrBeast’s massive youth audience with the foundation’s century-long experience in philanthropy, with both sides framing it as an intergenerational experiment in turning online engagement into sustained giving and advocacy.
What the partnership does
Beast Philanthropy, MrBeast’s charitable arm, and the Rockefeller Foundation announced the initiative ahead of a November 21 video shoot at MrBeast’s studio in Greenville, North Carolina, where youth-focused giving will feature prominently. The foundation’s president, Dr. Rajiv Shah, has described MrBeast’s approach as data-driven and outcome-focused, positioning the collaboration as a way to connect viral content to measurable impact for “the world’s most vulnerable” communities.
The partnership builds on Beast Philanthropy projects such as a program in Zambia that delivers solar power and clean water, which the Rockefeller Foundation has cited as an example of how creator-led campaigns can fund essential infrastructure for children and families. In parallel, the foundation and MrBeast’s Feastables snack brand have begun efforts targeting child labor in the cocoa industry, signaling a focus on both charity and reform of exploitative production systems.
Focus on child labor and youth giving
A core goal is to channel MrBeast’s predominantly young fanbase into philanthropy that addresses child labor and other abuses in global supply chains, rather than limiting engagement to one-off viral stunts. The initiative comes amid broader concern from rights groups about persistent child labor in agriculture, mining, and manufacturing, particularly in West Africa’s cocoa sector.
The partners plan to travel to Ghana early next year to learn from local organizations and communities affected by child labor, though they have not yet announced any joint grantmaking or specific funding totals. Officials say details are still being negotiated, underscoring that the collaboration is starting as a platform for shared advocacy and learning rather than a fully defined funding program.
An “unlikely marriage”
Observers describe the arrangement as an “unlikely marriage” between a Gilded Age legacy foundation and a 21st‑century influencer whose videos regularly reach hundreds of millions of viewers. For the Rockefeller Foundation, a key test will be whether massive online attention can be translated into sustained donations, policy pressure, and long-term support for local partners confronting child labor and poverty.
The deal also reflects a broader trend of large institutions seeking out social media creators to reach younger audiences on issues such as climate, health, and labor rights, raising new questions about accountability, transparency, and the balance between entertainment and serious advocacy.