“Checkmate Liars” - MrBeast claps back at haters claiming his charity wells don’t work

On August 8, 2025, Newsweek reported that YouTube star MrBeast, born James “Jimmy” Donaldson, pushed back against accusations that his 100 Wells Campaign in Africa had failed. The campaign, which started in November 2023, provides clean water to communities in Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

On August 8, Donaldson posted on X, refuting the claims that the wells were no longer operational. He also included a link with video proof of the success of all 100 well projects and wrote:

"People desperate for ad revenue have falsely claimed that the 100 wells I built for people in need don’t work anymore WITH ZERO PROOF! So I sent someone to EVERY SINGLE WELL to get video proof of them all still working over a year later. Checkmate liars. Proof -"

At the time of press, his post had amassed over four million views and 55,000 likes, and over 2000 comments. In a follow-up posted in the replies, MrBeast warned fans that the site might crash due to high traffic, so he also shared video clips directly for his 33 million followers to view.

According to the Beast Philanthropy website, the wells have provided clean water access to over 300,000 people through more than $1.44 million raised from over 28,600 donations.

More about TeamWater: MrBeast and Mark Rober’s $40 million clean water campaign

On August 1, 2025, Variety covered the launch of TeamWater, MrBeast’s largest fundraiser to date, aiming to raise $40 million in August 2025 to supply clean water worldwide.

Partnering with former NASA engineer and YouTube creator Mark Rober, the campaign involves over 3,000 creators from 84 countries, collectively reaching more than three billion subscribers. Talking to Variety, MrBeast said:

“I don’t have to do this stuff but I want to use my platform for good.”

The fundraiser benefits WaterAid, a global nonprofit focused on sustainable water and hygiene solutions in 22 countries. WaterAid CEO Kelly Parsons praised the partnership, saying:

“We’re pairing the power of the world’s most influential content creators with WaterAid’s decades of on-the-ground experience to tackle one of the world’s most solvable challenges: the global water crisis.”

The campaign’s goal is to provide two million people with clean drinking water for decades. Donations can be made via YouTube, teamwater.org, and WaterAid’s website. YouTube has pledged $2 million in matching funds to support the effort.

Alongside MrBeast and Mark Rober, the campaign features creators and celebrities such as Kai Cenat, Nick DiGiovanni, Gordon Ramsay, Hank Green, Fede Vigevani, and the Stokes Twins. Social media users can donate to WaterAid by watching YouTube videos with the @TeamWater tag, visiting teamwater.org, or giving directly on WaterAid’s website.

The backlash and public debate over the wells’ maintenance

On August 4, 2025, musician Chris Fronzak commented on X, questioning the campaign’s success, citing similar efforts in 2013. He wrote:

"I see a lot of discourse about this, but NO ONE is mentioning the fact that Mr. Beast went to Africa & built 100 wells in 2023 & they all failed 1 year later due to lack of maintenance. I believe everyone should always help other people, but this idea already failed?"

In June 2025, the Fleccas Talks podcast also suggested that previously built wells were abandoned and no longer functioning, citing poor maintenance. The podcast mentioned accusations of “colonialism” against MrBeast's efforts.

The Fleccas Podcast talking about Mr Beast's water wells in a post on June 10, 2025 (Image via Instagram/@fleccas)

However, Beast Philanthropy’s August 1 update asserted that all water projects remain fully operational, providing clean water and community empowerment.

According to Forbes, MrBeast is the top-earning content creator in 2025, making $85 million. With 420 million YouTube subscribers and growing, he is on track to become the platform’s first billionaire. Beyond philanthropy, Donaldson hosts the Amazon Prime Video reality competition Beast Games, which has been renewed for two more seasons after becoming Amazon’s most-watched unscripted show.

About the author

Devangee Halder is a Food and Pop culture writer at Sportskeeda. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics and a Master's Degree in International Studies. A bibliophile and foodie, her academic background, with the intersection of history and cultural studies, has deepened her love for reading and writing.

With over a year of experience, including an internship at Indian Express, which she landed through correspondence with editor Raj Kumar Jha, she transitioned into her current role at this company. As a journalist covering gastronomic trends and other news from the F&B Industry, she veers away from prescriptivism, and instead prioritizes questioning of current narratives, and forwarding relevant news, ensuring they are devoid of sensationalism.

Devangee approaches food with an interdisciplinary lens, locating it vis-à-vis areas such as culture, history, memory, and economics, within which culinary traditions found fruition and subsequently flourished. When not working, she enjoys cooking and reading, alongside her newfound interest in weightlifting. Among her favorite personalities are Sarah Todd and Vikas Khanna, and she admires the late chef Jock Zonfrillo for his work on indigenous food habits and ingredients.

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Edited by Riya Peter