MrBeast Buys Teen Finance App Step: Why This Is a Big Bet on Gen-Z’s Money Future

When Jimmy Donaldson, better known to the world as MrBeast, says he wants to change something, he usually does it at scale. This time, the target is not entertainment or philanthropy, but money itself. MrBeast’s company, Beast Industries, has officially acquired Step, a Gen-Z-focused financial services platform with more than seven million users. The deal marks MrBeast’s first formal entry into financial services, and it comes with a clear emotional driver. Donaldson has openly said that growing up, no one taught him about investing, building credit, or managing money. With Step, he wants to give young people the financial foundation he never had.

What Is Step and Why Does It Matter?

Founded in 2018 by CJ MacDonald and Alexey Kalinichenko, Step positions itself as an all-in-one money app for teenagers and young adults. It allows users to save, spend, send money, build credit and even begin investing, often before they turn 18. While Step is not a bank, it operates in partnership with Evolve Bank & Trust, ensuring regulated banking support.

The app offers debit and credit cards, interest-bearing accounts and a Visa card with no monthly fees. Over the years, Step has raised more than $500 million in funding and attracted investors ranging from fintech major Stripe to venture capital firms like General Catalyst and Coatue. Celebrity backers include Charli D’Amelio, Will Smith, The Chainsmokers and Stephen Curry.

Why MrBeast Chose Step

Step’s biggest strength is also its most obvious alignment with MrBeast’s universe. The app is built for Gen-Z and Gen Alpha, the same audience that dominates MrBeast’s global fanbase. His main YouTube channel alone crosses 460 million subscribers, most of them young, digital-first and deeply engaged.

Executives at Beast Industries have said the acquisition allows them to meet young audiences where they already are, with practical and technology-driven solutions that can genuinely change their financial futures. For Step, the partnership brings unprecedented reach, cultural relevance and storytelling power.

More Than Content, This Is Infrastructure

Beast Industries was valued at around $5.2 billion in 2024, and the company has steadily expanded beyond YouTube. Its chocolate brand Feastables generates hundreds of millions in revenue and has outperformed both MrBeast’s video business and his Prime Video reality show. Other ventures include a global game show, a pop-up amusement park called Beast Land in Saudi Arabia, and an upcoming telecom offering called Beast Mobile.

Step fits into this larger strategy. Instead of relying only on ads, merch or viral moments, MrBeast is building everyday services that live inside people’s daily routines. Finance, especially for young users, is one of the stickiest categories there is.

The Emotional Core of the Deal

At the heart of this acquisition is a deeply personal idea. Donaldson has repeatedly said he learned money the hard way, through trial, error and scale. He believes young people today are eager to learn but are rarely taught the basics early enough. Step’s mission of financial literacy directly reflects that belief.

Interestingly, this move comes shortly after MrBeast revealed plans to launch a YouTube channel focused entirely on personal finance and investing. Together, the channel and the app create a powerful loop: education through content, and action through technology.

A Sign of Where the Creator Economy Is Heading

This acquisition highlights a larger shift in the creator economy. Top creators are no longer content-only brands. They are building infrastructure. From food to telecom to now fintech, creators are turning attention into long-term consumer businesses.

For MrBeast, buying Step is not just about adding another company to his portfolio. It positions his empire as something far more embedded in real life. Not just entertainment you watch, but tools you use.

As millions of young users open their first accounts, build their first credit histories and learn how money works, one thing is clear. MrBeast is no longer just giving away money on camera. He is trying to teach an entire generation how not to lose it.