MrBeast mocked for Rolling Stone mix-up while complaining about being ranked too low on a list of influential creators

Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, is no stranger to attention. However, his latest dust-up online had less to do with philanthropy or viral stunts and more to do with a magazine list. The YouTuber sparked controversy this week after seeing Rolling Stone’s annual “Most Influential Creators” ranking and lashing out on X.

In a since-deleted post, Donaldson appeared to confuse the iconic magazine with the legendary rock band The Rolling Stones while venting about his placement. His complaint quickly became a punchline across social media, with many noting that the wealthy YouTuber had little reason to feel slighted.

What was MrBeast upset about?

The friction began when Rolling Stone placed Donaldson at number seven on its 2025 list of influential creators. That spot ranked him below comedian Caleb Hearon, who has a fraction of Donaldson’s audience. MrBeast, who has hundreds of millions of followers across platforms, bristled at the decision.

He fired off a post saying, “According to this list a guy with 1 million followers is more influential than me. What did I do to piss off The Rolling Stones?”

The internet reacts, calls it rich guy problems

His alleged mix-up of Rolling Stone with the Rolling Stones only amplified the mockery. Although the post disappeared quickly, the conversation had already spread. The response online was immediate.

The first person to notice this slip-up was @AlsikkanTV, “Mr Beast thinking Rolling Stone magazine is affiliated with The Rolling Stones is so funny, man.”

Rolling Stone‘s X account manager also took notice, writing, “*Rolling Stone” in a response presumably to MrBeast himself.

On Reddit, one user wrote, “It’s not even that Jimmy Beast isn’t on the list, it’s that Caleb is #6 and he’s #7. It’s still embarrassing as heck to get your feathers ruffled over this.”

u/JewDonn chimed in, “I guess there never is an amount of money that’ll make you happy. There’s always an ego that money can’t fill.”

While some defended Donaldson by pointing to his massive view counts and charitable projects, others argued that influence went beyond numbers. Fans of Caleb Hearon also rallied behind the comedian, insisting that cultural impact can’t always be measured in subscribers. One popular reply urged, “Put some respect on Caleb!!!”

Meanwhile, reporter Ej Dickson pointed out the irony of the moment by reminding people that the magazine had once put Donaldson on its cover. Consequently, MrBeast’s irritation looked even more unnecessary.

Comedian Hearon himself responded, in a way, by sharing a screenshot of MrBeast’s tweet on Instagram with the caption, “thank you @rollingstone it’s an honor.” In his stories, he shared a screenshot of his fan and MrBeast’s response, joking that he was in “peace talks” on the phone with MrBeast. 

MrBeast backtracks by quietly deleting

After waves of criticism, Donaldson removed the post and admitted he had reacted poorly. While he didn’t address the Rolling Stones confusion directly, he suggested that hearing feedback had helped him reconsider his response. 

In response to someone on X, MrBeast wrote, “Ngl after this I watched some of his stuff and it’s actually good. I deleted the tweet I don’t want the smoke from the shooters, spare me plz.”

The dust-up raised a bigger question: What does influence mean in 2025? MrBeast’s online presence thrives on spectacle and philanthropy, but Rolling Stone seemed to prioritize creators pushing conversations or offering unique voices.

Therefore, the magazine elevated figures like Hearon, who may not dominate charts but still shape cultural currents.

In its article, Rolling Stone explained, “For this list, we defined [influential creators] as someone born from the internet — not a celebrity who jumped on after gaining fame in a more traditional way — who uses their chosen platforms to push conversations forward.” 

The company says it used metrics like engagement rate and audience growth in the last year, along with its editorial team’s judgment, to rank the top 25 influential creators of 2025.

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