Overview

"Fuck Israel" Paid For By MrBeast LLC Billboards refers to a series of hacked electronic billboards, supposedly spotted in a Chicago suburb in mid-October 2024, that read, "Fuck Israel, paid for by MrBeast LLC." The billboards were hacked nearly a year after the start of the 2023-24 Israel-Hamas conflict with other signs being similarly altered to display the Palestinian flag alongside messages like "Death to Israel" and "Fuck Israel." MrBeast's team denied involvement in the matter, while the local government and Jewish organizations condemned the messages, calling the billboards "antisemitic." After images of the hacked advertisements appeared online, they received widespread discourse on social media as people reacted to them.

Background

On October 16th, 2024, multiple Illinois residents began posting online about several electronic billboards displaying messages such as "Fuck Israel" and "Death to Israel" alongside the Palestinian flag. The billboards were reportedly located off the Edens Spur Tollroad in Northbrook, just west of Waukegan Road, in a suburb of Chicago. Notably, all billboards contained the message, "Paid for by MrBeast LLC," with one sign showing a photo of MrBeast smiling.

Multiple X^[1][2] users, including @sarahslavin and @bethmsklar, flagged the signs to MrBeast and the company responsible for the billboards on October 16th.

Also on October 16th, X^[3] user @s626ch made a post collecting some early discussions about the billboard, writing, "wake up babe the funniest shit ever is happening," and gathering over 28,000 likes in a day.

Developments

On October 16th, 2024, Fox News reported on the events in an article titled, "Hacked billboards display 'antisemitic' messages in Chicago suburb." The corresponding post in X^[4] gathered over 6,000 likes in a day. Later on October 16th, MrBeast's team reached out to Fox 32 Chicago^[9] to deny their involvement with the billboards, relaying a statement that reads:

"MrBeast did not pay for this billboard and after being made aware of its existence, we contacted our attorneys and the authorities about how to have it immediately removed."

Also on October 16th, X^[5] user @sugarsmorecake quoted the aforementioned post with an image showing a third billboard, this time with MrBeast's actual face alongside the anti-Israel message. The post read, "I'm crying," and gathered over 200,000 likes in a day.

On October 17th, 2024, X^[6] user @zandapheri posted an edited photo showing MrBeast on a similar Times Square billboard, gathering over 1,000 likes in a day.

Late on October 16th, U.S. Representative of Illinois's 10th Congressional District Brad Schneider made a post on X^[7] acknowledging what he called "hateful, antisemitic billboard signs," and saying that the "disgusting, intimidating display has no place in the 10th District, or anywhere in America." The post gathered over 500 likes in less than a day.

Also on October 16th, Representative Schneider then was ratioed by the X account AIPAC Tracker,^[8] with a graphic noting that he has allegedly received over $1.2 million in funding from a pro-Israel Lobby. The post gathered over 2,000 likes in less than a day.

Search Interest

External References