Popular American YouTuber and philanthropist MrBeast, real name Jimmy Donaldson, has announced that he will be making an upcoming visit to Kenya.
The content creator revealed the plans during an interview with fellow YouTuber JasonTheWeen on Friday, January 9, 2026, where he spoke about wealth, lifestyle, and how he chooses to spend his money.
Responding to a question about what he enjoys about being rich, MrBeast dismissed luxury as a priority, explaining that his wealth is largely reinvested into content creation and philanthropy rather than personal comfort.
“I splurge on building studios. I splurge on giving away money. I splurge on spending a lot on videos,” he said, noting that material possessions have little impact on his life due to his demanding schedule.
MrBeast explained that he is rarely at home and often travels continuously for projects across different countries.
During the interview, he listed Kenya among his upcoming destinations, alongside Ghana, Dubai, Mexico, and several countries in South America.
He added that owning expensive cars or houses does not appeal to him, as he barely has time to use them. “I probably won’t even go to my house this entire month,” he said, explaining that most of his time is spent working, travelling, or coordinating projects.
MrBeast, currently the world’s most subscribed YouTuber, noted that his wealth is primarily used to produce high-quality content and fund humanitarian initiatives around the world, a mission that has seen him undertake large-scale charitable projects across Africa, including in Kenya.
This is not the first time MrBeast will be coming to Kenya. He previously visited in 2023, when he built 52 dams and wells as part of a project to construct 100 wells across Africa, donated school supplies, built a bridge, and highlighted clean water challenges.
In April 2025, he returned to Narok County, where he established a school feeding programme, bought desks, dug boreholes, and supported farming and food security initiatives.
The announcement comes as IShowSpeed is currently on a 28-day stream across 20 African countries, with Kenya among the destinations he is expected to visit.
His visit comes after American streaming sensation IShowSpeed, popularly known as Speed, sent Kenyan social media into a frenzy after livestreaming his in-real-life (IRL) tour of Nairobi City.
The world’s top English-speaking streamer, who is currently on his Africa tour dubbed “Speed Does Africa,” received a special welcome from President William Ruto on Sunday through a video message assuring him that “Kenya is home. This is Magical Kenya.”
Speed, born Darren Watkins Jr., has experienced meteoric growth, amassing more than 48 million subscribers on YouTube. He made history as the first English-speaking streamer to surpass one million live viewers during a single livestream. His IRL broadcasts have taken him across Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, and now Africa.
He began streaming in 2020 at just 15 years old from his bedroom in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, initially attracting only a handful of viewers while playing video games such as Fortnite and FIFA. His eccentric personality, outspoken nature, and unfiltered moments quickly set him apart, drawing millions to his high-energy livestreams.
In 2023, Speed took his content beyond the confines of his bedroom and the United States, embarking on international tours. His visit to Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia, marked a major milestone when he drew over one million concurrent viewers during a livestream.
Like many gamers, Speed first streamed on Twitch before transitioning to YouTube. He was indefinitely banned from Twitch in late 2021 but was reinstated two years later following sustained lobbying from fellow streamers, including Kai Cenat, and direct appeals to Twitch CEO Dan Clancy.
Top streamers in Speed’s category include Kai Cenat and Ninja from the United States, as well as Ibai Llanos, AuronPlay, and Rubius from Spain. Audiences in this space typically tune in to watch creators take on challenges, play video games, or simply livestream their daily lives for hours on end. Kai Cenat, for instance, is known for record-breaking subathons, which are extended livestreams whose duration increases with viewer engagement through subscriptions and donations.
True to his name, Speed has cultivated an image as an athletic, high-energy creator. He once challenged Olympic champion and American sprinter Noah Lyles to a race, narrowly losing. In a 2024 interview with Jon Youshaei, Speed even claimed he has the potential to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, saying:
“I have speed in my legs; I just need the technique. The 2028 Olympics are only three years away, I have time.”
Speed is also an ardent fan of Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo. He has Ronaldo’s portrait tattooed on his arm and has adopted the footballer’s iconic “Siuuu” celebration as part of his on-stream persona.
During his 28-day Africa tour, which aims to cover 20 countries, Speed has already visited South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and now Kenya. Upcoming stops include Algeria, Benin, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Zambia.
