A year is a long time to wait for a single meeting. For Maya Gupta, a content creator from Surat in Gujarat, it was worth it. She met YouTube star MrBeast on the 365th day of a challenge she set herself, and he gave her $10,000 (roughly Rs 9.5 lakh) to support her community initiatives.
Maya wanted to catch the attention of MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, and she decided to do it in public. She posted updates on social media, counted the days down, and invited people to follow along.
What began as a personal mission slowly picked up an online following. Her Instagram page, @mayaforbeast, became the home of the project, and by Day 361 she was counting down the last four days. She spoke about how a journey she had started alone had become something supported by a growing community of followers.
Maya also used the platform to highlight efforts to feed people in need in her area, which gave the year a charitable purpose. Reports say that in September she was contacted and asked to share her email address and WhatsApp details, which raised hopes among her followers that a meeting was close.
The reported encounter came on the final day of the challenge. MrBeast met her in person and handed over $10,000 to put towards her community work.
MrBeast is known for elaborate online challenges, big cash giveaways and philanthropic projects, so the gesture fits his usual style. He started posting videos as a teenager from Greenville, North Carolina, and built a following with high-budget stunts, from paying people to survive extreme conditions to living inside a grocery store for daily cash prizes. His channel has since passed 500 million subscribers, making him the most subscribed creator on the platform. He has also put his reach behind charity. His projects have included planting 20 million trees, paying for sight-restoring treatment for 1,000 visually impaired people and giving vacant homes to people without shelter. He also runs a food-focused charity, Beast Philanthropy, and has been linked to giving away millions in free food.
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