Jamaican-born pilot, Jabari Brown, is still absorbing the life changing moment that catapulted him into international fame. Brown, only 20 years old, won a private jet valued at two million dollars after outlasting ninety nine other aviators in a dramatic YouTube competition hosted by global internet creator, Mr Beast.
The contest was filmed in October in Saudi Arabia and the final video was released on December 6, launching Brown into the global spotlight. Speaking from Saudi Arabia, where he remains, Brown admitted that the magnitude of his victory still feels unreal.
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He described the experience as overwhelming, explaining that the moment he realized he had won felt both fast and slow at the same time.
“I am thinking to myself, this means I am a millionaire now. There is no way this is real. It was hard to process everything, and then also realizing that you just won a Mr Beast challenge and will suddenly be at the center of attention.”
Brown originally believed the top prize would be about one hundred thousand dollars. When he was contacted and asked if he was available between October 8 and 18, he immediately agreed without checking his schedule. He only knew that Mr Beast was involved and that international travel would be required.
The competition began with one hundred pilots competing for a private jet. The final round featured the ten remaining pilots, who had to keep a hand on an aircraft set on a trailer in the middle of a freeway in Riyadh. The last person to remove their hand would claim the jet. Contestants held on for more than nineteen hours, and at one point ran almost ten miles along the road with their hands stretched overhead to maintain contact with the plane. Brown later revealed that running in boots caused blisters on his feet and that this was the most difficult part of the event.
When the competition was narrowed to three finalists, the remaining pilots were instructed to create their own final game within one hour. The winner would keep his hand on the jet while the others stepped away. If more than one contestant refused to remove a hand, no one would win.
Brown argued for a skills based challenge because he felt that a jet should be earned, but the other finalists insisted on a game of chance using three suitcases, only one of which contained a golden ticket. Some contestants even questioned whether Brown would keep his word if he lost. The debate ended when the cases were opened and Brown emerged as the winner. The two other finalists honored the agreement and removed their hands.
Brown admitted he expected all three to lose the prize and walk away with the consolation award of ten thousand dollars. Winning the jet felt like a bonus, he said, because he had convinced himself that no one would take their hands off the plane.
Before the video was released he worried he would be portrayed negatively or receive online backlash. However, upon viewing the final cut he felt that the editors had portrayed him fairly. While he has received some hateful comments, he said the support from Jamaicans and the global audience nearly drowns out any criticism. “The love overwhelmed the small amount of hate. With an entire country behind me it is almost impossible to pay attention to anything else.”
Brown was born in Jamaica to June Peters Brown, a nurse at the Spanish Town Hospital, and Christopher Brown, a driver for the Jamaica Urban Transit Company. He migrated to the United States in third grade but remembers a joyful childhood in Innswood Village, playing football with homemade balls made from Chubby bottles filled with stones. He switched easily between his American and Jamaican accents as he spoke.
He completed primary and high school in Florida, where he discovered his passion for aviation. Although he did not initially plan to become a pilot, flying a plane once had always been on his bucket list. After meeting a pilot in 2022, he pursued aviation with determination and earned a scholarship from the Experimental Aircraft Association in Florida. He completed flight training in under six months and became both a licensed pilot and an instructor.
Known online as Capt Treezy, Brown flies private jets and creates aviation content. He cannot fly for commercial airlines yet because United States law requires airline pilots to be at least twenty one years old, although he already meets all technical qualifications.
Brown said he worried about the timing of the video release because Hurricane Melissa had recently devastated sections of Jamaica. He hoped his win would not appear insensitive. Fortunately the video was published at a time when viewers could enjoy it.
He plans to use part of his winnings to support his business, Integrity Aviation Online Groundschool, with the goal of building steady income to retire his parents. He also shared words of encouragement for young aspiring Jamaican pilots. He urged them to discover their gift and commit to excellence because unexpected opportunities arise from extraordinary talent. His own journey, he said, is proof that doing what you love can change your life.
“It is true that if you do what you love you will never work a day in your life.”
