An early pencil drawing of MrBeast’s big-cat logo is heading to auction on October 23, offering collectors a rare look at the beginnings of one of YouTube’s most recognisable creator brands.
A pencil drawing that reportedly took just 10 minutes to conceptualise could soon sell for more than $20,000. The artwork is the original sketch behind the famous blue big-cat logo associated with Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, one of YouTube’s biggest creators.
The drawing will be offered during Heritage Auctions’ Fall Sports Catalog Auction, scheduled for October 23 to 25, 2026. Measuring 8.5 by 11 inches, the sketch is expected to attract interest because of its connection to a digital creator whose branding has expanded far beyond YouTube.
What makes the artwork particularly interesting is how little it resembles a carefully planned corporate identity. There are no elaborate design notes or finished colours. It is a simple pencil illustration of a roaring big cat, created years before the logo became familiar to millions of viewers.
A 10-Minute Idea That Became a Global Brand
According to representatives of Heritage Auctions, the logo originated around 2018 during a brief brainstorming session that lasted approximately 10 minutes.
The drawing captures the animal’s head in profile, with its mouth open and teeth exposed. While the overall shape resembles the logo used today, several familiar details are missing.
Most noticeably, the original sketch does not feature the bright blue colouring or the pink lightning bolt that now appears over the animal’s eye.
The animal itself is another point of curiosity. Although the finished logo is commonly described as a tiger, the pencil illustration has characteristics that could also suggest a leopard or panther.
Donaldson has acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the design.
Speaking to Wired, he admitted that surprisingly little planning went into an image that would eventually become closely associated with his online identity.
“Even though that logo has probably been seen a hundred billion times, I actually put very little thought into it,” Donaldson said.
He also acknowledged that he was never entirely certain what species the animal was intended to represent, describing it as something resembling a tiger.
Why Could a Simple Pencil Sketch Be Worth $20,000?
The estimated value of the artwork has less to do with its physical appearance than with the identity it helped establish.
MrBeast launched his YouTube channel in 2012 and gradually built an audience through elaborate challenges, large cash giveaways and philanthropic projects.
His reach has since extended into merchandise, consumer products and entertainment, with the blue big-cat logo serving as a recognisable visual element across his businesses.
The auction therefore offers something different from the merchandise usually available to fans. Rather than another product carrying the finished logo, buyers have an opportunity to acquire an early piece of its design history.
Experts have estimated that the drawing could be worth $20,000 or more, although the eventual selling price will depend on bidding.
Importantly, Donaldson is not involved in the sale of the sketch, a clarification made in IGN’s updated coverage of the auction.
From a YouTube Logo to a Wider Entertainment Identity
The timing of the auction also reflects how much MrBeast’s career has changed since the early days of his channel.
What began as an online video operation has developed into a business spanning several industries.
Donaldson has expanded into streaming entertainment through Beast Games, his competition series on Amazon Prime Video. The programme has released two seasons and received a renewal for a third.
He has also collaborated with author James Patterson on The Most Dangerous Games, a novel centred on 100 strangers competing for a chance to win a billion dollars.
Alongside these projects, his branding continues to appear across his merchandise and chocolate products.
The original drawing offers a reminder that the visual identity connecting these ventures began with a relatively informal creative decision.
The Auction Puts MrBeast’s Early Creative History in Focus
Perhaps the most unusual aspect of the sale is the contrast between the sketch’s simplicity and the prominence of the brand it eventually represented.
Unlike a finished promotional illustration, the artwork shows the logo before its defining colours and lightning-bolt detail were introduced.
With the Heritage Auctions event approaching, the central question is whether collectors will value the drawing beyond its $20,000 estimate.
For now, the sketch stands as an example of how an idea developed in a matter of minutes can become closely tied to a business built over years.
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