Controversy Swirls Around YouTube's MrBeast

MrBeast has ordered a full assessment of the internal culture in his YouTube empire as well as an investigation into "allegations of inappropriate behavior by people in the company," according to a confidential memo obtained by the AP. Addressed to "Team Beast" employees, the message sent Wednesday outlines infrastructure changes including plans to hire a chief human resources officer and require company-wide sensitivity training. The expanded probe signals that troubles inside YouTube's biggest channel could go deeper than the "serious allegations" facing a longtime collaborator acknowledged last month by MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson.

• Those allegations: The memo reveals Donaldson has hired white-shoe law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan to investigate his friend and fellow creator Ava Tyson—who left the company in July after online accusations that she shared inappropriate sexual messages with minors.
• Donaldson's own behavior: Donaldson admitted to previously using "inappropriate language" last week after clips circulated online of past homophobic and racist remarks.
• Safety complaints: An early production of his ambitious game show, Beast Games on Amazon Prime Video—set to feature 1,000 competitors and a $5 million grand prize—recently brought safety complaints from contestants who described a chaotic set where they lacked regular access to food, water, and medication.
• Changes to come: Donaldson told employees that the company he founded in 2016 at age 18 is making several changes intended "to foster a better internal culture as we continue to grow." The memo outlined plans to also hire a chief financial officer and general counsel. The company will offer an "anonymous reporting mechanism" as well as mandatory training for all employees on "safety, sexual harassment, LGBTQ, diversity, sensitivity training, and workplace conduct," according to the memo.
• Quote from Donaldson: "As your leader, I take responsibility, and I am committed to continue to improve and evolve my leadership style," Donaldson wrote. "I recognize that I also need to create a culture that makes all our employees feel safe and allows them to do their best work."

(For more on how Donaldson built his empire, check out this piece.)