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Investing
Jimmy Donaldson aka Mr. Beast. Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

YouTube megastar MrBeast once built 100 homes for Americans in need. How you can invest in the future you want

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Jimmy Donaldson, also known as Mr. Beast on his incredibly successful YouTube channel, is no stranger to publicly handing out — and receiving — criticism on his various social media accounts.

In 2024, a project to build 100 houses for needy families, was added to his resume of philanthropic endeavors. He has built a name for himself through his charitable actions, having
previously paid for cataract surgery for 1,000 patients in need and given $10,000 away to an unhoused person — among many other projects.

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Despite a reported net worth of more than $100 million, Donaldson was called to defend his recent charitable actions by his fans on social media. In his response on X.com, he called for the government to do more to fix the country’s housing problem.

“When we help people (such as funding cataract surgery for 1,000 people, building 100 houses, 100 wells, etc.), people get mad and say I shouldn’t be doing this and governments should … Yes, ideally a YouTuber isn’t the one fixing these issues, but I'm not just gonna stand by and do nothing,” Donaldson posted.

Housing matters

For Donaldson, it’s pretty clear his stance on housing is that it’s a human right. But the reality is that households that own real estate are disproportionately wealthier than those that don’t.

Real estate is an asset class that’s provided incredible wealth accumulation over the long-term for those in high income brackets. New investing platforms are making it easier than ever to tap into the real estate market.

For accredited investors, Homeshares gives access to the $36 trillion U.S. home equity market, which has historically been the exclusive playground of institutional investors.

With a minimum investment of $25,000, investors can gain direct exposure to hundreds of owner-occupied homes in top U.S. cities through their U.S. Home Equity Fund — without the headaches of buying, owning or managing property.

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With risk-adjusted target returns ranging from 14% to 17%, this approach provides an effective, hands-off way to invest in owner-occupied residential properties across regional markets.

If you’re not an accredited investor, crowdfunding platforms like Arrived allow you to enter the real estate market for as little as $100.

Arrived offers you access to shares of SEC-qualified investments in rental homes and vacation rentals, curated and vetted for their appreciation and income potential.

Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived makes it easy to fit these properties into your investment portfolio regardless of your income level. Their flexible investment amounts and simplified process allows accredited and non-accredited investors to take advantage of this inflation-hedging asset class without any extra work on your part.

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Mogul is a real estate investment platform offering fractional ownership in blue-chip rental properties, which gives investors monthly rental income, real-time appreciation and tax benefits — without the need for a hefty down payment or 3 A.M. tenant calls.

Founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate investors, the team hand-picks the top 1% of single-family rental homes nationwide for you. Simply put, you can invest in institutional quality offerings for a fraction of the usual cost.

Each property undergoes a vetting process, requiring a minimum 12% return even in downside scenarios. Across the board, the platform features an average annual IRR of 18.8%. Their cash-on-cash yields, meanwhile, average between 10 to 12% annually. Offerings often sell out in under three hours, with investments typically ranging between $15,000 and $40,000 per property.

Every investment is secured by real assets, not dependent on the platform’s viability. Each property is held in a standalone Propco LLC, so investors own the property — not the platform. Blockchain-based fractionalization adds a layer of safety, ensuring a permanent, verifiable record of each stake.

Getting started is a quick and easy process. You can sign up for an account and then browse available properties. Once you verify your information with their team, you can invest like a mogul in just a few clicks.

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In spite of pushback from commenters, Donaldson seems likely to continue sharing his wealth with those in need. If you have the same philanthropic urge, growing your wealth with a strong investment portfolio will allow you to generate wealth and do the most good for others.

One way you could do this is with the Wealthfront Cash Account, which can help you build an investment base through a combination of high-interest rates and ease of access.

A Wealthfront Cash Account can provide a base variable APY of 3.50%, but new clients can get a 0.65% boost over their first three months for a total APY of 4.15% provided by program banks on your uninvested cash. That’s over ten times the national deposit savings rate, according to the FDIC’s October report.

With no minimum balances or account fees, as well as 24/7 withdrawals and free domestic wire transfers, you can ensure your funds remain accessible at all times. Plus, Wealthfront Cash Account balances of up to $8 million are insured by the FDIC through program banks.

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Chris MacDonald Freelance Writer

Chris MacDonald is an experienced financial journalist, covering companies across various industries and markets. His love of finance led him to pursue an MBA in finance and move on to the world of financial analysis in the venture capital and corporate finance worlds.

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