ACCRA, Ghana: YouTuber and philanthropist Mr Beast has responded to criticism over his decision to spend nearly $10 million on a village project in Ghana, saying his charitable foundation also provides substantial support to communities in his hometown of Greenville, North Carolina.
MrBeast released his $10M humanitarian project in Ghana, building a complete village with a 300-student school, housing for teachers, a clinic, and solar power to help kids escape forced labor on cocoa farms. 🇬🇭🏫✨ pic.twitter.com/TCA9pr1une
— THE GLOBAL NEWS. (@THE_GLOBE_N) September 21, 2026
The controversy emerged after Mr Beast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, highlighted the construction of a self-sustaining village in Ghana designed to help address child labour in cocoa-growing communities.
According to details shared in his video, the project includes homes, a school capable of accommodating more than 300 students, a medical clinic, a community marketplace, clean-water infrastructure, solar power systems and agricultural facilities.
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The project also includes 10 homes for teachers and free school meals for students for five years, according to the video.
MrBeast shows his BIGGEST charity project yet, spending over $10 MILLION to build an entire VILLAGE designed to help kids attend school instead of being forced into child labor 👀🔥
The village includes a SCHOOL, community center, library, medical center, farm, playground,… pic.twitter.com/NJmehHnWKS
— Killa 🌺 (@KillaKreww) September 19, 2026
Criticism over hometown poverty
The large-scale Ghana initiative drew criticism on social media, with one X user questioning why Mr Beast was funding a major project overseas while Greenville, North Carolina, faces significant poverty.
The post cited US Census Bureau figures putting Greenville’s poverty rate at 24.6%, compared with 12.5% for North Carolina and 10.2% nationally.
Mr Beast responded by pointing to the work of Beast Philanthropy, his nonprofit organisation, saying it has distributed tens of millions of meals in the United States, including in his local community.
“I literally do,” he said in response to the criticism, adding that listing all of the foundation’s local philanthropic activities would not fit in a single post.
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Mr Beast’s global philanthropy
Donaldson has built a large philanthropic operation alongside his career as one of YouTube’s most prominent creators. Beast Philanthropy has supported food distribution, disaster relief, medical procedures and other humanitarian initiatives in the US and abroad.
Among its projects is Beast Pantry, which operates in Greenville and across communities in eastern North Carolina. The organisation says its food-distribution efforts have provided more than 48 million meals to people in need.
Ghana deɛ, we’re blessed oo. Out of all the 52 African countries, it’s Ghana MrBeast chose to build houses costing $10M for villages. Herh🥹❤️🫶 pic.twitter.com/SgLeBNxVE1
— 𝙺𝙾𝙱𝙸 _ ♰🤍🎀 (@ObiaaBewu) September 20, 2026
Mr Beast has also backed international initiatives, including campaigns to plant trees, remove waste from waterways and provide medical assistance to people who cannot afford treatment.
His Ghana project has nevertheless renewed discussion over how high-profile philanthropists allocate resources between local communities and international causes.
