MrBeast heads to the shark tank.
The YouTube phenomenon, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, has been confirmed as a guest shark on season 18 of the ABC business reality show, debuting in the fall.
He will appear alongside Beast Industries CEO Jeffrey Housenbold and join a notably starry lineup of guest sharks for the new season.
Also joining as guests are actress and writer Mindy Kaling, former NFL star JJ Watt, Diary of a CEO podcast host Steven Bartlett and Sara and Erin Foster, co-founders of fashion brand Favorite Daughter and the real-life inspiration behind the Netflix series. Nobody wants this.
The guest sharks will appear alongside the show’s permanent panel, which includes Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, Daniel Lubetzky, Kevin O’Leary, Kendra Scott and Rashaun Williams.
The selection marks a notable change in the type of figures ABC brings to the tank.
Previous guest sharks have tended to lean toward traditional business executives, but this season leans heavily toward the world of content creators and podcasters, a move that echoes ABC’s strategy with dancing with the starswhere tapping social media personalities has helped boost audience engagement.
Shark Tank has remained one of the longest-running reality formats on American television since its debut in 2009, giving entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their businesses to real-money investors.
One of the most subscribed creators on YouTube, MrBeast brings a different kind of fame to the tank and a very different kind of audience.
