Man Who Won $10 Million On MrBeast's Shows Tells What He Plans To Do With It

When Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, announced plans for his latest challenge, the Amazon Prime reality show Beast Games, thousands applied. Jeff Allen, a former salesman, took a chance and entered the competition. He was out of work and going through hardships.

The competition, filmed across Las Vegas, Panama and Toronto, tested contestants with intense challenges. Over several weeks, several people were eliminated from the show; some chose to walk away with cash offers instead of continuing. Not Mr Allen.

The contestant number 831 won the record-breaking $10 million prize money and decided not to spend it recklessly. He will spend the money to raise awareness about a rare brain disorder affecting his son.

His youngest son, Lucas, was born with creatine transporter deficiency (CTD), a rare genetic disorder that affects brain development. Only an estimated 35,000 people worldwide are diagnosed with CTD. So, awareness is limited and research funding is negligible.

"It's a blessing to win $10 million and have 10 million eyes from all over the world on you and hear about my son's rare brain disease. But also it's a little daunting," Mr Allen told Fortune.

Throughout the competition, participants were given many opportunities to accept large amounts of money in exchange for leaving. Even with offers as high as $1 million, Mr Allen refused to quit. By the final episode, only six contestants remained, and Mr Allen's story had won over audiences.

"My ultimate aim for joining Beast Games was to have a platform to talk about my son - Lucas's rare brain disease," he told Fortune. But it wasn't until the 10th episode that he realised he could take home the life-changing amount of money.

Since his victory, Mr Allen has continued his mission to advocate for CTD awareness. Though he had to keep his win a secret until the show aired, it didn't stop him from taking action. He embarked on an 18-day trek across California, covering 365 miles with weights on his back, raising over $140,000 for the Association for Creatine Deficiencies (ACD).

Heidi Wallis, executive director of the ACD, acknowledged the impact Mr Allen's win has had. "Together, we are creating a future where every child with CTD can be diagnosed promptly and treated effectively. Thanks to this elevated awareness, more families have found support - and hope for a cure," Fortune quoted Mr Wallis as saying.

Mr Allen aims to raise between $40 million and $50 million to support research and fund clinical trials. He believes a cure is within reach.

Originally, the competition's top prize was set at $5 million, but a last-minute twist doubled it to $10 million.

Most of Mr Allen's winning money has been placed in high-yield US Treasury reserves. Allen's financial advisor, Emmy Sakulrompochai of Arta Finance, has helped him establish an estate plan, including a special needs trust for his son's long-term care.

Sakulrompochai said, "He (Allen) wants to be able to grow and invest that over time so that he could create impact as much as possible within the research."

He has already donated $200,000 to charity and intends to contribute more in future. With significant tax obligations - potentially around $2.5 million - he is working to invest wisely to reduce his financial burden.

Earlier this year, MrBeast said that producing his Amazon Prime reality show, Beast Games, was a financial setback, costing him over $10 million. Despite being the world's most-subscribed YouTuber and famous for high-stakes challenges, he said the show was not a good financial decision.