A YouTuber is attempting to beat MrBeast’s first viral record by counting past 100,000 live on stream, nearly nine years after the original video racked up more than 33 million views.
On January 8, 2017, MrBeast uploaded what he has described as his first viral video: a nearly 24-hour clip of him counting from one to 100,000. The marathon challenge helped launch his career and currently sits at over 33 million views on YouTube.
Speaking recently on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, MrBeast revealed that the process was not quite as isolated as it appeared on camera.
“The entire time, I was watching ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Naruto.’ But people don’t know that. And it’s just me counting. And so it looks like I’m just sitting there staring at a wall for, you know, 40 hours. They’re more clicking, like, ‘What is this idiot doing? Like, what an absolute moron.’”
Now, YouTuber Lets Test Laurence is attempting to go one number further.
Counting to 100,001 live
Laurence began his livestream on February 13, aiming to count all the way to 100,001 over the course of roughly 40 hours. Unlike MrBeast’s pre-recorded upload, the entire challenge is being broadcast live to a small but steady audience.
At the time of writing, he has been streaming for over 24 hours and has reached 40,000, with viewership fluctuating between eight and 20 concurrent viewers.
The attempt is a direct nod to MrBeast’s original stunt, adding just one extra number in an effort to surpass the 2017 milestone.
MrBeast’s counting video is often cited as the turning point in his YouTube career, marking the beginning of the endurance-style challenges that would later evolve into large-scale giveaway and competition videos. While counting to 100,000 may seem modest compared to his current productions, it remains one of the most recognizable early moments in his rise on the platform.
Whether Laurence ultimately completes the 100,001 count remains to be seen. After reaching 40,000, Laurence questioned whether he had in it him to take down MrBeast’s record.
