A few weeks ago, content-creating sensation Mr. Beast — real name Jimmy Donaldson —  decided once more to break the internet with another phenomenal video. Known for giving away large sums of money and producing ridiculous fantasies like “Squid Game in Real Life,” Donaldson has continued to dominate the YouTube space, currently sitting at 130 million subscribers and over 22 billion cumulative channel views. 

For his latest stunt, Dondalson paid for 1,000 people’s cataract-removal surgery. With the assistance of ophthalmologist Jeff Levenson, these individuals — all blind or near blind — were able to receive a 10-minute surgery that changes their eyesight instantaneously. 

In the video, Donaldson claims over 200 million people worldwide have some sort of seeing impairment, just minutes from a new reality. But without funds to do so, these individuals were unfortunately stuck behind an all too common medical paywall — one that Donaldson has just shattered. 

Touching before and after videos of patients interacting with family members and thanking Donaldson highlight how impactful something so simple can be. Daily tasks like driving, reading the newspaper, being able to work and providing for families were once impossible for these individuals, but no more.

Donaldson didn’t stop at eye surgeries, either. One teen surgery recipient received $50,000 towards college — another a new Tesla — with others taking home $10,000. Donaldson also donated $100,000 towards Levenson’s practice and cause, capping off an already phenomenal display of giving. 

With the great success of Donaldson’s platform and how he’s utilizing it, another pressing question continues to arise. Why can’t the extremely wealthy follow suit?  As the Elon Musks and Mark Zuckerbergs of the world continue to double down on the pursuit of technology, it’s easy to wonder what the effects of a different pursuit would be, philanthropy. 

Some have taken to social media to question the ethics of making philanthropy like this a spectacle. However, with Donaldson using his YouTube revenue to continue making a positive change in the world, that questioning is irrelevant. After all, it’s not like any of these Tweeters or commenters are doing anything of the same magnitude. 

As a society, we must continue to give a platform to those like Donaldson who genuinely use it for good. In a world where news is plagued with injustice, crime, and sadness, those like Donaldson continuously display the opposite — and with no signs of slowing down and millions of views coming in by the day, all systems are a go for more heartfelt content.