Jimmy Donaldson, the 26-year-old content creator known globally as MrBeast, has never been content with simply dominating YouTube. With over 380 million subscribers, a snack empire in Feastables, and a fast-food brand in MrBeast Burger, Donaldson has systematically expanded his influence across consumer industries. Now, he is making his most ambitious move yet: mobile banking.
According to a report from The Verge, MrBeast has partnered with Step, a fintech startup that offers banking services targeted primarily at teens and young adults, to launch a co-branded mobile banking app. The move signals a dramatic escalation in the creator economy’s reach into regulated financial services — and raises significant questions about the intersection of influencer marketing, youth audiences, and consumer finance.
From Content Creator to Financial Services Partner
The partnership between MrBeast and Step is not a simple endorsement deal. As reported by The Verge, Donaldson is deeply integrated into the product itself, with the app featuring MrBeast branding and gamified elements designed to appeal to his massive, predominantly young fanbase. Step, founded by CJ MacDonald in 2018, has positioned itself as a banking alternative for Generation Z and Generation Alpha — demographics that have grown up watching MrBeast’s elaborate giveaway videos and philanthropic stunts.
Step operates through a partnership with Evolve Bank & Trust, which provides the FDIC-insured backbone for its accounts. The app offers spending accounts with Visa-branded cards, no minimum balance requirements, and no monthly fees — features that have made it attractive to younger users who may be opening their first financial accounts. By adding MrBeast’s name and audience to the equation, Step is betting that star power can accelerate user acquisition in a fintech sector that has struggled with differentiation and customer retention.
The Gamification of Personal Finance
What makes the MrBeast-Step collaboration particularly noteworthy is the degree to which it leans into gamification — a strategy that has become increasingly popular in consumer fintech but also increasingly scrutinized by regulators. The app reportedly incorporates rewards mechanics and engagement features that mirror the dopamine-driven design principles of social media platforms and mobile games. For MrBeast’s audience, many of whom are teenagers, the line between entertainment and financial decision-making becomes notably blurred.
This is not without precedent in the fintech world. Companies like Cash App and Robinhood have used gamified interfaces to attract younger demographics, though both have faced regulatory scrutiny for doing so. Robinhood, in particular, paid a $70 million fine to FINRA in 2021 over allegations that its gamified trading platform caused harm to customers. The question for Step and MrBeast is whether a banking product wrapped in the aesthetics of a YouTube channel can…
Read More: How YouTube’s Biggest Star Plans to Disrupt Mobile Finance With ‘Step’
