The milestone was reached on 12 June 2026, further cementing the dominance of MrBeast, real name Jimmy Donaldson, as the most-subscribed creator on YouTube, by a considerable margin.

To mark the unprecedented achievement, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan personally presented Donaldson with a custom-made 500 million play button — a level far beyond the platform’s traditional creator award cap of 100 million subscribers.

The bespoke trophy features a silver, diamond-textured base inspired by YouTube’s iconic Diamond Play Button. It is wrapped in a three-dimensional version of MrBeast’s Beast Panther logo and incorporates his signature branding, including vivid blue crystal detailing and a red-accented base.

Congratulating the creator, Mohan praised Donaldson’s innovation and impact, calling the milestone “a testament to what’s possible when creators are free to be authentic and creative on YouTube.”