Antisemitic billboards in Chicago suburb hacked, falsely link MrBeast to 'Death to Israel'

On Wednesday evening, several electronic billboards in Northbrook, a suburb of Chicago, were hacked to display offensive, antisemitic messages bearing the name of popular YouTuber MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson.

The signs, which were hacked around 5:30 p.m., displayed slogans like "Death to Israel" and "F*** Israel" against the backdrop of a Palestinian flag. The offensive messages included the text "Paid for by MrBeast LLC" alongside an image of MrBeast's face. These signs remained visible until they were taken down by 7 p.m.

As reported by Newsweek, MrBeast, who is unrelated to the incident, quickly distanced himself from the offensive display.

A spokesperson for the YouTuber stated that neither MrBeast nor his company had any involvement, adding, "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."

Offensive stunt shocks community and sparks outrage

Congressman Brad Schneider, representing Illinois' 10th District, was among the first to react to the hacked billboards. According to Fox 32 Chicago, Schneider called the messages "disgusting" and "intimidating" in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

He contacted local police and the billboard company Outfront Media, demanding immediate action and an investigation. "This disgusting, intimidating display has no place in the 10th District or anywhere in America," Schneider said. He further noted that the billboards were located near a Jewish day school and in a community with a large Jewish population, coinciding with the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

Schneider emphasized the antisemitic nature of the hack, stating, "Whoever did this had an intentionality about it that was clearly antisemitic." He expressed concern for families and drivers who witnessed the signs, noting, "Someone said they had their kids in the car... old enough to read. These are big billboard signs, and how do you explain that to a young person?"

Outfront Media confirms hacking, authorities investigate

Outfront Media, the company responsible for the billboards, confirmed that the signs had been hacked. As reported by Gizmodo, the company stated, "We take this matter very seriously. The copy, which was not approved or condoned by OUTFRONT or our advertisers, has been removed. The situation is being investigated & we are notifying all appropriate local and national authorities." By 7 p.m., the digital billboards were shut off entirely.

Both Northbrook police and Outfront Media are now working to identify the source of the hack. While no hacker or group has yet claimed responsibility, the investigation is ongoing. The Village of Northbrook, alongside local organizations, condemned the incident.

The Northbrook Village Board issued a statement saying, "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."

Historical context of billboard hacking

Billboard hacking is not a new phenomenon. As Gizmodo highlights, it evolved from culture jamming in the 1960s, when activists would paint over massive advertising billboards with their own messages. In more recent years, digital billboard hacking has become more complex. In 2009, for example, hackers changed a road sign to read "Caution! Zombies! Ahead!!!" and in 2019, a digital billboard in Detroit displayed pornography to passing traffic.

The hacked billboards' reference to "Paid for by MrBeast LLC" may have been an attempt to draw attention to MrBeast's history of buying up billboards for campaigns. According to the New York Post, in 2018, MrBeast purchased multiple billboards to promote fellow YouTuber PewDiePie during a subscriber race against the Bollywood channel T-Series. The hackers may have capitalized on this history to attract more attention to the offensive display.

MrBeast's recent controversies

As reported by Newsweek, MrBeast has been in the spotlight recently due to accusations that he allegedly profited over $10 million by promoting and then dumping several altcoins, including SuperFarmDAO's token. Blockchain investigator SomaXBT raised concerns, claiming that MrBeast invested in low-cap crypto projects, promoted them to his large audience, and sold his shares, causing the prices to plummet. While no illegal activity has been alleged, these actions have sparked ethical debates within the cryptocurrency community.

Both MrBeast and Outfront Media are cooperating with authorities to identify those responsible for the billboard hack and to prevent such incidents in the future.