Several electronic billboards in Chicago were hacked on Wednesday to display messages such as “Death to Israel” and implicated popular YouTuber MrBeast.
The billboards, located in the suburb of Northbrook, began displaying the offensive messages around 5:30 p.m. Commuters were confronted with slogans like “Death to Israel” and “F*** Israel,” both set against the backdrop of a Palestinian flag. The messages remained visible for at least an hour before being taken down around 7 p.m.
The billboards included the text “Paid for by MrBeast LLC,” referencing the YouTuber whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson. At least one billboard included an image of his face beside the text.
In a statement to Fox 32 Chicago, a spokesperson for MrBeast said that neither he nor his company had any involvement in the hack and wanted the content removed straight away: “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.”
Congressman Brad Schneider, who represents Illinois’ 10th District, was among the first to respond. “This disgusting, intimidating display has no place in the 10th District, or anywhere in America,” he told Fox 32 Chicago.
“Notable that this sign is located in a community with a large Jewish population, in close proximity to a Jewish day school, at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot,” added Schneider who contacted local police and the billboard company, Outfront Media, to demand immediate action and an investigation into how the messages were posted.
Outfront Media confirmed that the billboards were hacked. By 7 p.m., the company had taken the signs down and shut off the displays entirely. In a statement, it said, “We are aware of this incident. The copy has been removed and the situation is being investigated.”
A stock photo of blank billboard advertising on a highway. Hacked billboards in Chicago temporarily displayed antisemitic messages on Wednesday, October 16.
Nur Kayat/Getty Images
The Village of Northbrook and local organizations condemned the incident, as reported by Fox 32 Chicago. “The Northbrook Village Board unequivocally condemns antisemitism and all acts of hate speech. We stand together with the Jewish community, family members, friends, and neighbors. Northbrook is an inclusive community and welcomes all,” the village’s statement said.
Both Northbrook police and the media company are now investigating the source of the hack, and it remains unclear who was behind the attack. No individual hacker or hacker group has come forward yet to claim the billboards.
The name MrBeast may have been included as part of an attempt by hackers to capitalize on the YouTuber’s history of buying up billboards for campaigns; in 2018, MrBeast purchased multiple billboards to promote fellow YouTuber PewDiePie during his subscriber race against Bollywood channel T-Series.
The YouTuber has been in the spotlight in recent days after accusations surfaced that he allegedly profited over $10 million by promoting and then dumping several altcoins, including SuperFarmDAO’s token.
Blockchain investigator SomaXBT raised concerns, claiming MrBeast invested in low-cap crypto projects, promoted them to his vast audience, and later sold off his shares, causing token prices to plummet. While there’s no indication of illegal activity, this has sparked ethical debates within the cryptocurrency community about the implications of such actions.
Newsweek has contacted MrBeast and Outfront Media via email for comment.
