Archive · 4 Sep 2026
MrBeast and James Patterson Take YouTube Formula to Books
MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, made a new book with writer James Patterson.
The book is called The Most Dangerous Games.
It is about people competing in dangerous contests to win $1 billion.
One thousand people are invited, but only 100 become contestants.
The challenges happen in places such as Antarctica, the Chilean coast, and the desert.
MrBeast appears in the story as himself.
The book also includes clues connected to a $1 million competition.
The project tests whether people who watch MrBeast online will also spend time reading a long book.
Jimmy Donaldson and James Patterson collaborated on The Most Dangerous Games, published September 1.
The novel follows contestants competing in increasingly dangerous challenges for a $1 billion prize.
One thousand people are invited to compete, with 100 selected for challenges across several locations.
Donaldson appears as himself, while Patterson provides the thriller framework for the story.
The book tests whether MrBeast’s huge online audience will commit time to reading a 480-page novel.
- Who
- Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, and thriller writer James Patterson.
- What
- They created The Most Dangerous Games, a novel about contestants facing dangerous challenges for a $1 billion prize.
- When
- The book was published on September 1; the year is not specified.
- Where
- The story includes Antarctica, the Chilean coast, and the desert; the book is being sold in bookstores.
- Why
- Donaldson is extending the MrBeast brand beyond YouTube, encouraging reading, and testing whether his online audience will become a readership.
- Book
- The Most Dangerous Games
- Authors
- Jimmy Donaldson and James Patterson
- Publication
- September 1
- Main prize
- $1 billion
- Contestants
- 1,000 people are invited, with 100 ultimately selected
- Book length
- 480 pages
- Interactive promotion
- Readers can search for clues and Easter eggs connected to a $1 million competition