YouTube star MrBeast reportedly wants to make a phone company-problem is, half of his core demographic doesn't pay for their own phone bills

"The business model has proven lucrative for celebrities. Ryan Reynolds sold his Mint Mobile to T-Mobile for $1.35 billion in 2023, while President Trump launched his own Trump Mobile service earlier this year, offering "The 47 Plan" for $47.45 monthly-a reference to his status as both the 45th and 47th president-and plans to launch his own smartphone as well, if his company can decide on a design for the $499 gold phone."

"Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, is reportedly planning to launch his own mobile phone service in 2026, according to leaked investor documents viewed by Business Insider. The 27-year-old creator, who has amassed over 431 million YouTube subscribers, wants to follow the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) playbook: essentially renting network capacity from carriers like T-Mobile or Verizon to offer MrBeast-branded service without building his own infrastructure from scratch."

"His core viewership skews heavily toward ages 11-24, with the strongest concentration among middle schoolers through early university students. While this represents a massive potential customer base, most of these viewers aren't the ones making purchasing decisions about phone service. Recent surveys reveal that among Gen Z adults aged 18-24-MrBeast's prime demographic-only about 27%-32% pay for their own phone bills. The rest rely on parents or guardians. Even among the broader 18-35 age group, roughly 32% still have their phone bills covered by"

MrBeast intends to launch a branded mobile phone service in 2026 using the MVNO model, which rents network capacity from carriers rather than building infrastructure. Celebrity MVNOs have generated significant returns, exemplified by Mint Mobile's $1.35 billion sale and the emergence of Trump Mobile and a proposed smartphone. The global MVNO market is rapidly expanding, with substantial projected revenue growth through 2033. MrBeast's audience skews 11-24, concentrated among middle school to early university students, and many in that cohort do not pay their own phone bills. Limited direct purchasing power among core viewers presents a challenge to converting fans into paying subscribers.

Read at Fortune