MrBeast’s $250K giveaway transforms UNC basketball game into a spectacle
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- MrBeast gave away $250,000+ at UNC, turning a regular game into spectacle.
- He filmed a 100-person contest ages 1 to 100 and selected two finalists, 28 and 7.
- Earlier campus stunts included $30,000 to a student and $10,000 to a professor.
Nobody inside the Dean E. Smith Center on Saturday afternoon seemed to know exactly what was coming. Maybe that uncertainty was part of the appeal.
Parents, students and fans knew MrBeast was coming to the UNC men’s basketball game against USC Upstate. But even UNC athletics administrators, speaking to the News & Observer before tipoff, seemed to be unsure what exactly MrBeast had planned. There would be a giveaway, a contest and, crucially, a lot of money. Another important point: the YouTube superstar had promised — one day before winter commencement ceremonies were set to be held in the Dean E. Smith Center — that he would not break anything.
And that was good enough.
By the end of the afternoon, MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, had delivered on the hype, giving away over $250,000 on the court after the Tar Heels’ win and turning a routine nonconference game into a spectacle that left the crowd buzzing long after the final horn.
The giveaway followed weeks upon weeks of speculation on campus. MrBeast surprised students at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School in early October by interrupting a business analytics class and giving away thousands of dollars.
During the brief visit, MrBeast awarded senior Vinit Satasia $30,000 — enough to cover his final year of tuition and rent — after a coin flip landed in his favor, as The Daily Tar Heel first reported. MrBeast also gave $10,000 to the professor, according to the DTH.
He has been spotted surprising other students around campus with cash, videos that have spread like wildfire across local internet circles in the past months.
On Saturday, MrBeast made his first appearance on the Roy Williams Court to give fans a “sneak peek” of the $250,000 giveaway that followed the game. He explained that he’d been filming a video in which his crew started with 100 participants, ages 1 to 100, and gradually eliminated them to determine “who’s the most athletic.” He then introduced the final two participants — 28-year-old Charlotte native Tyler Gordon and 7-year-old Cary native Gunner Phillips — and implored fans to stay in their seats after the game ended.
That they did. Fans packed the lower bowl and leaned over railings, phones raised, as they waited for the competition to begin. Comically large briefcases full of, presumably, cash were soon carried out to the court. Meanwhile, Gordon and Phillips, who wore matching red jumpsuit-style uniforms, stretched in the lounge area outside the players’ locker room.
Gordon admitted he was excited and nervous. Phillips, even at his young age, was all business. He became an instant crowd favorite as, just a few minutes later, the youngster was contorting his entire body to muster enough strength to shoot on the regulation rims.
The contest unfolded as a knockout-style free throw challenge. The two participants took turns shooting and, essentially, if you made your shot and your opponent missed, you got to pick a briefcase. The game continued until Gordon or Phillips opened the case with the grand prize.
Gordon emerged as the winner, walking away with $250,000 after sinking the decisive shot to earn the correct case.
But Phillips, much to the delight of the crowd, did not leave empty-handed. MrBeast awarded him a $10,000 consolation prize, drawing a wave of cheers as Phillip tried his best to lift the briefcase with his tiny frame.
Throughout the contest, the crowd’s energy never dipped — especially from the kids in attendance. Even the members of the basketball team couldn’t stay away. As soon as his postgame interviews were done sophomore guard Jonathan Powell — who had just tied his career high with 17 points — hustled out of the players’ lounge, ducking his head through the walkway and declaring, “I’m not missing this.”
Teammates, including Caleb Wilson, Seth Trimble and Kyan Evans, gathered with him to watch.
They are among the demographic that’s grown up with MrBeast, who grew up in Greenville and has built the most-subscribed channel on YouTube. More than 450 million subscribers follow Mr. Beast for his elaborate videos known for crazy challenges and massive cash prizes.
Saturday’s event felt like that ethos distilled into less than a half hour on the Smith Center floor.
No one (outside of, perhaps, MrBeast’s crew) seemed to know exactly what he had planned. But by the end, it was clear: in Chapel Hill, even the most traditional basketball programs can make room for spectacle.
This story was originally published December 13, 2025 at 7:47 PM.