00:00Why is every top creator suddenly trying to become Disney? And who's actually most likely to win?
00:06Because Disney doesn't just mean movies. It means worlds, characters, parks, products,
00:11and stories that outlive the people who made them. But here's the twist. Every time a major
00:16creator raises real money, whether it's 10 million, 100 million, or even 400 million,
00:21they all use the exact same phrase in their pitch. We're building the next Disney. Mr. B says it.
00:28Dude Perfect says it. Stephen Bartlett literally says it. But when you look closer at what they're
00:32actually building, none of them look like Disney at all. They're building something entirely new.
00:37Now let's start with Mr. Beast, the biggest creator on earth who literally opened a real-life theme
00:42park. A full 188,000 square meter beastland in Saudi Arabia, packed with rides, game zones,
00:49challenge arenas, basically a physical Mr. Beast video you can walk around inside. And yes,
00:54the Disney comparison is unavoidable. He built a world, not a brand collab, not a pop-up,
00:59a literal world. But his world is built on spectacle, not story, on challenges, high stakes,
01:05and physical stunts. It's less Disneyland and more live action video game. Then there's Dude Perfect.
01:12When they raised more than 100 million to build their massive entertainment park in Texas,
01:16their investors describe them as a modern Disney for sports. Because Dude Perfect isn't about
01:21personalities. It's about format IP, trick shots, battle games, family-friendly competition.
01:28Their world is built around activity, a universe where you are part of the show.
01:32And then there's Stephen Bartlett, aka the Diary of a CEO. His company, Stephen.com,
01:37was just valued at $425 million. And he openly calls his vision the Disney of the creator economy.
01:44But he's not building theme parks yet. He's building infrastructure. He's got Flight Story,
01:48which is media, flight cast, creator tech built with a former Mr. Beast engineer,
01:53a $100 million venture fund, and software to help creators scale beyond themselves.
01:57So if Mr. Beast builds worlds you can walk into and Dude Perfect builds worlds you can play in,
02:02Stephen Bartlett is building the company behind the worlds.
02:05So why does every major creator say they want to be the next Disney? Well, because Disney represents
02:10IP, multi-platform distribution, systems, generational impact,
02:15and a world people emotionally belong to. But here's what people actually miss.
02:20Disney wasn't just a personality brand. Disney was an infrastructure brand. Mickey Mouse was the
02:24spark, not the business model. And creator-led companies still carry key person risk. One scandal,
02:30one burnout cycle, one algorithm shift, and the whole empire wobbles. Stephen Bartlett already
02:35faced scrutiny from the BBC and the Advertising Standards Authority over ad disclosures tied to
02:41brands he invests in. And that comes with the scale, which is why creators who will succeed long
02:45term like Dude Perfect, Mr. Beast, and Diary of a CEO will do so by building format IP that survives
02:51beyond the founder. For instance, Hot Ones went from a niche YouTube show to a global media property
02:57backed by Soros Fund Management with international broadcast formats. When you build worlds and formats,
03:03instead of just content, you build longevity and diverse revenue streams. Right now,
03:07creator ecosystem is shifting faster than traditional media can even keep up. Creator-led content is
03:12growing nearly 20% year over year, and in some categories, already outperforming legacy media.
03:18Investors are used to treating creators like small businesses, and now they see them as global
03:22entertainment companies. But this moment isn't about creators leaving platforms. It's about creators
03:27graduating from content to companies. Creators aren't just filming videos. They're raising capital,
03:33acquiring talent, building software, and creating formats that can live across digital,
03:37and physical worlds. So yes, every creator says they're building the next Disney. But the truth
03:42is way more interesting. Disney began with a character. Creators begin with a relationship.
03:47Disney scaled with studios. Creators scale with trust, community, and technology. Disney imagined
03:53worlds. Creators build worlds with their audiences beside them in real time. So who do you think will
03:58be the next Disney of the creator generation? Or do you agree with me that maybe there won't be
04:02one and all, and it's something entirely new? Subscribe to What's Trending for more deep dives
04:07into viral moments, trends, and creators shaping the online conversation.
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