Popular and sometimes controversial YouTuber James Stephen Donaldson, known on YouTube as “MrBeast”, has revealed he has rented out the Great Pyramids of Giza for an upcoming YouTube video.
While you might think that the ancient wonders of the world cannot be hired out like a wedding venue, you are only partially correct. Though wedding ceremonies are forbidden inside the Egyptian pyramids, it is possible to hire them out for private events, festivals, and concerts, with a hefty amount of cash and a sprinkling of permission from the country’s Minister of Antiquities and the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
“We got all three of the pyramids of Egypt for 100 hours,” Donaldson said in a podcast interview with Noah Lyles. “I’m going to do a video where they let me explore anywhere I want in the pyramids for 100 hours. We’re going to sleep in the pyramids, we’re going to have them all to ourselves.”
The YouTuber – who has recently found himself facing a lawsuit from contestants in a Prime Video reality competition series launched today – says he gained permission to enter and film the inside of the Great Pyramids from the Egyptian government. With the 100 hours given to him, he plans to film parts of the pyramids that “no one’s seen publicly”.
During the stay, he will be escorted by a tour guide, who the 26-year-old hopes will point out and allow access to chambers or corridors not usually available to the public.
“I’ve never been inside of [them]. I want to just find secrets and go through all the rooms and the tombs and that kind of stuff,” he added. “I’m so excited because there are all these secret corridors deep below too. I don’t know what to expect.”
You can explore the pyramids without fear of damaging them using a 3D tour.
The Egyptian government is not without criticism in its running of the pyramids, with attempts to renovate the outer casing of the Menkaure pyramid drawing concern earlier this year. The project was canceled upon review.
The pyramids have been rented out in the past, but MrBeast’s plans have been met with some controversy, and some social media posts joking(?) that they hope he gets hit by an Ancient Egyptian curse.
While the idea that Ancient Pharaohs placed a curse on all who disturb their slumber is of course nonsense, fungal pathogens have been found inside ancient tombs. Though one study looked at those who had opened Egyptian tombs and found no suspicious amount of mortality, it has been theorized that Lord Carnarvon – supposedly a victim of the “curse” – could have been infected with fungal pathogen Aspergillus acquired when opening the tomb of Tutankhamun.
MrBeast is unlikely to meet with such pathogens, on what will hopefully be more of a guided tour than he’s expecting.
