YouTube star MrBeast greeted by crowds at Sydney Opera House forecourt
Thousands of fans have turned out to watch the world's biggest YouTube star, MrBeast, film a viral video at the Sydney Opera House forecourt.
His arrival caused a frenzy among his fans who scrambled for tickets, and confusion among those who have never heard of him.
People of all ages crowded the barricades trying to get a glimpse of MrBeast.
Young fans yelled "we love him" and "he's the best" and one mum told the ABC she had taken her kids out of school for the day to try to catch a glimpse of the viral star.
Who is MrBeast?
The 26-year-old holds the record for the most subscribed channel on YouTube with 289 million followers.
He specialises in high-production videos of elaborate mental and physical challenges in which everyday people attempt to win large cash prizes.
MrBeast has a legion of fans, mainly young children. (ABC News: Sean Tarek Goodwin)
Thousands gathered at the Sydney Opera House to be part of the action. (ABC News: Jak Rowland)
Some of his biggest videos include a real-life recreation of Netflix's Squid Game, being buried alive and a challenge involving sitting in a bathtub full of snakes.
He also runs a philanthropic organisation called Beast Philanthropy and videos many of his charitable acts.
In 2022, MrBeast recreated Willy Wonka's chocolate factory to celebrate the release of his branded chocolate bars. (Supplied: YouTube)
Many of his videos have hundreds of millions of views, and it is estimated his channel gains 5 million subscribers each week.
Forbes magazine estimates his net worth to be about $750 million.
Rise to YouTube stardom
Born James Donaldson, MrBeast grew up mainly in Kansas and North Carolina in the US with his parents working in the military.
He began creating YouTube videos with friends after dropping out of university, eventually employing his friends as his popularity grew.
"There's a five-year point in my life where I was just relentlessly, unhealthily obsessed with studying virality, studying the YouTube algorithm," he told Rolling Stone in 2022.
He began posting YouTube videos as a teenager, mainly filming himself playing video games.
MrBeast had a viral breakthrough in 2017 with a video of himself counting to 100,000, and followed that up with several viral challenges and pranks.
Earlier this month, he overtook Indian music video label T-Series as the most popular YouTube channel.
The top spot had previously been held by Swedish creator PewDiePie.
His giveaway is reminiscent of times other American celebrities hosted events at the Opera House including Oprah Winfrey in 2010 and Ellen DeGeneres in 2013. (AAP: Tracey Nearmy)
MrBeast organised another one of his signature viral stunts for his Sydney audience at the Opera House forecourt Wednesday afternoon.
During his appearance, MrBeast gave away 10 cars to his fans, including a Lamborghini and a Scooby-Doo van.
Contestants played a number of games to win the cars, including throwing a ball through a large board with holes in it.
One woman was asked to choose between a 1993 Volvo which was wrapped in the face of another YouTuber, Lannan Eacott, an Australian known as LazarBeam online.
LazarBeam offered the young woman $50,000 in exchange for the car he claimed was only worth $5,000, but she declined.
Another contestant won a Tesla after successfully getting the ball through a hole.
MrBeast has built his YouTube channel with 289 million followers using similar giveaways and reality-show-style challenges.
Fans turned out hoping to win one of the 10 cars being given away by MrBeast. (ABC News: Sean Tarek Goodwin)