On Saturday, the Mexican government announced a lawsuit against Full Circle Media, the production company behind the latest viral YouTube video by Jimmy Donaldson, best known as MrBeast, for allegedly exploiting ancient Mayan archaeological sites for commercial gain.
The video at the center of the lawsuit has amassed more than 67 million views in a week.
Titled “I Explored 2000-Year-Old Ancient Temples,” the video features MrBeast and his team exploring restricted areas of Mayan ruins, including Chichén Itzá and Calakmul.
Mexico claims the production violated the terms of its filming permit by using the footage to promote MrBeast’s “Feastables” candy brand and, therefore, profiting from what it called “the heritage that belongs to all Mexicans.”
The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) issued the filming permit to Full Circle Media, allowing access to the archaeological sites for “non-commercial purposes.” However, the video includes a promotional portion where MrBeast peddles his chocolate peanut butter cups, jokingly calling them “the only Mayan-approved snack on the planet” and a “special Mayan dessert.”
INAH alleges the promotion is an unauthorized commercial use, violating Mexican laws that tightly regulate monetization and brand promotion at heritage sites. The institute seeks compensation and a public retraction, stating, “The heritage of the nation, which by its nature is public, cannot be subject to exploitation by commercial companies.”
“This video … was meant to highlight these treasured Mayan sites in Mexico,” a spokesperson for MrBeast told The New York Post. “No advertisement material was shot on any archaeological sites overseen by INAH (Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History), so it is unfortunate that this has turned into a political issue.”
At one point during the video, Donaldson even says “I can’t believe the government’s letting us do this.”
The Post noted, “MrBeast topped the Forbes list for the highest-paid YouTuber in 2024 and has an estimated net worth of $550 million. He’s the most popular person on the platform, with 395 million subscribers.”
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