MrBeast had just got his 100 millionth subscriber. To celebrate, he announced: "I bought this ginormous private island - and I'm giving it to one of you in this video!"

This is the Mr Beast his fans thought they knew: wackyFunny or amusing in an odd way. , generous and enthusiastic. But a lawsuit which began this week offers a different view.

It is about the biggest reality show in history. Beast Games, made by Jimmy DonaldsonThe real name of American YouTuber MrBeast. and AmazonA large river and jungle in South America. Also the name of a US-based company that started off selling books online. It now sells almost any product and is expanding into futuristic computer technology., has 2,000 contestants competing for a $5m (£3.7m) prize.

The first round was filmed in Las VegasA city in the desert of Nevada, USA. It is known for its casinos and gambling culture. in July. The contestants lived, ate and slept in a sports stadium. Shortly afterwards The New York Times was told that it had been a distressingMakes you feel sad, upset, or worried. and dangerous experience.

At the stadium contestants had to hand in their phones. They also gave their clean clothes and medication to staff, on the understanding that they could get them back when needed.

Complaints included having to sleep on the floor and being badly fed. One meal consisted of a small helping of cold porridge, a hard-boiled egg and some raw vegetables.

One contestant claimed that she had to go for 20 hours without food. "We signed up for the show, but we didn't sign up for not being fed or watered or treated like human beings," said another.¹

Several people complained that they had not received medication when they needed it.

Contestants who made it through to the next round, in TorontoCanada's most populous city, home to 2.93 million people. , said they were treated much better there. But several members of the production crew told Rolling Stone that the set was unsafe.

Six people ended up in hospital. Now the competitors are suing MrBeast and Amazon.

A spokesman for MrBeast said that filming in Las Vegas had been complicated by extreme weather and other unexpected problems.² Afterwards they had taken steps "to ensure that we learned from this experience". All contestants were offered $1,000 (£747) in compensation.

Does wealth always corrupt?

Yes: People like MrBeast live lives so far removed from most of us that they lose touch with reality. They are so busy making money that they forget about people's basic needs, such as food and medication.

No: There are some very rich people who live unassuming lives and give a lot of their money to charity. Far from corrupting, wealth allows people to realise dreams for themselves and others.

Or... The things that went wrong while filming Beast Games were probably down to disorganisation rather than nastiness. It was a huge thing for a 26-year-old to undertake: we should cut him some slack.