Jimmy Donaldson, known professionally as MrBeast, filed a lawsuit against Leroy Nabors, a former employee of Beast Industries, for misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of contract. The lawsuit, filed April 4 in a North Carolina court, alleges Nabors downloaded confidential company information and installed hidden cameras throughout the company’s offices.

As Polygon reports, Nabors, hired in 2023 as an IT contractor, initially managed Beast’s IT network and servers housing post-production content. According to the complaint, Nabors was later transferred to a “special projects” team in the development department before his termination on October 1, 2024.

The lawsuit claims Nabors downloaded “more than one thousand Beast confidential files” containing business strategy, financial information, capitalization tables, and employee personal information. Beast Industries alleges Nabors synchronized files to a personal DropBox account and still maintains access to thousands of confidential documents.

Hidden Surveillance Allegations

During an internal investigation following Nabors’ departure, “multiple hidden cameras” were discovered in Beast Industries offices. The lawsuit states, “No Beast employee recalls installing those cameras.” According to company representatives, Nabors “was well known among colleagues to surreptitiously record meetings.”

The company believes Nabors and his daughter’s firm, Vine Networks, which he subcontracted to assist with IT network management, controlled access to these surveillance devices.

Corporate Scale and Operations

Polygon notes that MrBeast’s business empire employs approximately 350 people and generated $473 million in revenue last year. The creator seeks to raise additional capital in a funding round that would value his holding company at approximately $5 billion, according to recent reports.

Donaldson’s business portfolio includes chocolate brand Feastables, snack company Lunchly, and media production operations including the Amazon Prime Video series “Beast Games,” which the YouTuber claims has become the platform’s most-watched unscripted program.

Legal History

Both parties have previous litigation experience. Nabors faced a 2022 lawsuit from Edu-Net, an IT contracting company he founded, for allegedly diverting millions in revenue to a competing firm he established. Donaldson has been involved in several legal disputes, including a 2023 lawsuit against Virtual Dining Concepts regarding his branded hamburger operation, and claims from “Beast Games” contestants citing unsafe production conditions.

Donaldson seeks damages and a permanent injunction ordering the return of all company information in Nabors’ possession.