MrBeast, the most-subscribed YouTuber globally with 395 million subscribers, is facing potential legal action from Mexican authorities over a recent video filmed at an ancient cultural site.
On May 10, MrBeast released a video titled “I Explored 2000 Year Old Ancient Temples” on his official YouTube channel. The video features MrBeast and his crew touring historical ruins believed to be part of Mexico’s ancient civilizations.
However, controversy erupted over the final portion of the video. After concluding an elaborate meal near the ruins, MrBeast states, “You can’t leave without trying a special Mayan dessert,” before unveiling his personal chocolate brand a move that critics claim crosses ethical boundaries by commercializing a protected cultural site.
On May 15, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) of Mexico announced on its official social media channels that it intends to file a civil lawsuit against MrBeast’s company.
INAH stated:
“The filming team violated the terms of the filming permit issued by the institute.”
“We will seek damages for the unauthorized use of cultural heritage for private commercial gain.”
The institute also took issue with visual effects used in the video, notably a computer-generated scene depicting a helicopter landing atop a pyramid. INAH criticized the imagery as “false information” that distorts the historical reality of the site.
The situation has sparked debate about ethical boundaries in content creation, particularly when filming in historically or culturally sensitive areas. MrBeast’s team has not yet issued an official response.
