Why I Just Gave $1 Million to MrBeast

And why it wasn’t purely altruistic — or purely selfish.

Okay, the headline is mostly true… with a twist.

I didn’t wake up one morning and randomly wire $1 million to a YouTuber. This was a deliberate act tied to both our mission at Great.com and a relationship we’ve built over years.

The backstory

In 2021, we donated $1.2 million to MrBeast’s TeamSeas fundraiser — the project that removed millions of pounds of trash from oceans, rivers, and beaches. That donation led to direct contact with his team, and the connection stuck.

When MrBeast launched Team Water, a $40 million campaign to build clean water wells for two million people, his team reached out to see if we could help again.

At Great.com, we earn money by testing and recommending online casinos — then we donate 100% of our profits to high-impact causes. It’s an unusual model, but it’s exactly why opportunities like this make sense for us. Gambling revenue turns into clean water.

I told the MrBeast team: “Let’s make a contribution that moves the needle.” The result? A $1 million donation, publicly announced by MrBeast, tied to one million years of clean water supplied.

Now, we’re in early talks about organizing a trip to visit the wells in person — to see the tangible impact of our contribution.

Profit is not the enemy of impact

There’s a common belief that you have to choose between making money and making a difference. I’ve found the opposite to be true.

Our revenue model — an online casino affiliate — might not sound like a natural partner for a clean water project. But that’s exactly the point. We take money from an industry where people already spend, and funnel it into causes that save lives.

Profit is potential energy. The question is where you direct it.

Give before you ask

We didn’t donate to Team Water as part of a PR campaign or a lead funnel. The cause came first.

Ironically, that sincerity has brand benefits. The MrBeast announcement now serves as third-party validation of who we are and what we do — and while it wasn’t the intention, it’s a powerful byproduct. It adds credibility with partners, potential hires, and future projects.

If you give for the right reasons, you’ll often find the secondary effects are more valuable than anything you could have planned.

Networking via mission-aligned giving

When you contribute meaningfully to someone else’s mission, you’re not just supporting the cause — you’re building a relationship.

If I had cold-emailed MrBeast about a collaboration, it would have been one of thousands of pitches in his inbox. But our shared history of impactful giving meant his team reached out to us for this project.

Mission-aligned giving is one of the most overlooked ways to meet the people you want to work with.

Related: Why giving is a better conversation starter than pitching.

The payoff

When the donation went live, my phone exploded with messages from friends and comments on MrBeast post that mentioned me and linked to our website.

In one sentence, it tied my name, my company, and our mission to something everyone can get behind. That level of organic reach and goodwill is almost impossible to buy.

The long-term equity of this post will keep compounding. A mention from one of the world’s most influential brands is more than just publicity — it’s a stamp of credibility for our brand and mission. That kind of validation will have a lasting, net-positive impact on Great.com and our future.

Takeaways

1. Lead with alignment. Choose causes that naturally fit your story.
2. Be public — for the cause’s sake. Visibility inspires more giving.
3. Think of profit as fuel. Don’t be afraid to put it to work.
4. Invest in impact like you invest in marketing. Both can grow your brand — one also changes lives.
5. Play the long game. Relationships built on shared purpose last.

For Great.com, giving away $1 million wasn’t an expense. It was a reinforcement of our mission, a renewal of a valuable relationship, and — unintentionally — a credibility boost that will keep paying dividends for years.

If you can find a way to merge impact, alignment, and authentic relationships, my advice is simple: don’t wait. Make the call, send the wire, and see where it leads.

The ripple effects will surprise you.