On Saturday, the Mexican authorities introduced a lawsuit in opposition to Full Circle Media, the manufacturing firm behind the most recent viral YouTube video by Jimmy Donaldson, finest often called MrBeast, for allegedly exploiting historic Mayan archaeological websites for industrial achieve.
The video on the middle of the lawsuit has amassed greater than 67 million views in every week.
Titled “I Explored 2000-12 months-Previous Historical Temples,” the video options MrBeast and his staff exploring restricted areas of Mayan ruins, together with Chichén Itzá and Calakmul.
Mexico claims the manufacturing violated the phrases of its filming allow through the use of the footage to advertise MrBeast’s “Feastables” sweet model and, due to this fact, benefiting from what it known as “the heritage that belongs to all Mexicans.”
The Nationwide Institute of Anthropology and Historical past (INAH) issued the filming allow to Full Circle Media, permitting entry to the archaeological websites for “non-commercial functions.” Nonetheless, the video features a promotional portion the place MrBeast peddles his chocolate peanut butter cups, jokingly calling them “the one Mayan-approved snack on the planet” and a “particular Mayan dessert.”
INAH alleges the promotion is an unauthorized industrial use, violating Mexican legal guidelines that tightly regulate monetization and model promotion at heritage websites. The institute seeks compensation and a public retraction, stating, “The heritage of the nation, which by its nature is public, can’t be topic to exploitation by industrial firms.”
“This video … was meant to focus on these treasured Mayan websites in Mexico,” a spokesperson for MrBeast informed The New York Post. “No commercial materials was shot on any archaeological websites overseen by INAH (Mexican Nationwide Institute of Anthropology and Historical past), so it’s unlucky that this has become a political challenge.”
At one level throughout the video, Donaldson even says “I can’t imagine the federal government’s letting us do that.”
The Submit famous, “MrBeast topped the Forbes record for the highest-paid YouTuber in 2024 and has an estimated web value of $550 million. He’s the most well-liked individual on the platform, with 395 million subscribers.”
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