Creator, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast, speaks on stage at the 2025 New York Times Dealbook Summit at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City on December 3, 2025.
Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Jimmy Donaldson, the world’s biggest YouTuber by subscribers, better known as Mr.Beast, has acquired financial services app Step, marking the company’s entry into fintech with a focus on serving younger users.
Step is touted as an all-in-one money app that allows teens and young adults to manage their money, build credit, and access financial tools. The app will be operated under Donalson’s company Beast Industries.
“When I was a kid, no one taught me about investing, building credit, or managing money. That’s exactly why we team up with Step,” Mr. Beast told his millions of fans on Monday. “I want to give millions of young people the financial foundation I never had. I have a lot to share right away.”
Beast Industries did not disclose the amount it paid Stepp. CNBC reached out to the company for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Beast Industries has been raising capital over the past year, including a recent $200 million investment from Bitmine Immersion Technologies, the largest corporate holder of the Ether cryptocurrency and chaired by Tom Lee of Fundstrat.
Step is backed by fintech giant Stripe, as well as venture capital firms including Coatue, Collaborative Fund, Crosslink Capital, and General Catalyst.
The newly acquired company, Step, was founded in 2018 by fintech veterans CJ McDonald and Alexey Kalinichenko with the mission of providing the next generation with the tools for financial literacy.
Although Step is not a bank, in 2022 it partnered with Evolve Bank & Trust, a consumer finance company, for banking services. The platform also includes the Step Visa Card, an account that allows you to save, spend, send and invest with no monthly fees.
Beast Industries said in a press release that Step’s more than 7 million users, technology platform and in-house fintech team complement the company’s large digital audience and philanthropic efforts.
“This acquisition will enable us to serve our audiences with practical, technology-driven solutions that can transform their financial futures for the better,” Beast Industries CEO Jeff Hausenbold said in a statement.
Beast Industries’ other businesses include snack brand Feastables, its nonprofit arm Beast Philanthropy, and Amazon Prime Video’s reality competition series Beast Games.
These businesses leverage Donaldson’s YouTube brand, which has more than 450 million subscribers and 5 billion monthly views as of early 2026.
