The Most Followed YouTuber in the World, MrBeast Buys an Online Bank

DIVERSIFICATION: MrBeast will buy the young online bank Step, which counts among its investors actor Will Smith and basketball player Stephen Curry

He made himself known by distributing dollars, MrBeast now hope to attract deposits. According to a press release published Monday, the most followed YouTuber in the world will buy the young online bank Step which claims more than 7 million customers.

Beast Industries, MrBeast’s company, and Step have not yet provided information on the amount of the transaction. Step has raised more than $500 million since its inception in 2018, including $300 million in debt and the balance in stocks.

A vast diversification underway

Arrived on YouTube while still in middle school, MrBeast gradually evolved his channel into a machine that produces videos at millions of dollars each, with a team of more than 300 people. They combine spectacular challenges and philanthropic actions, which have allowed him to reach 466 million subscribers on the video platform, making him, by far, the most popular YouTuber in the world.

Jimmy Donaldson –real name – has diversified, notably via a game show produced by Amazon’s Prime Video streaming platform, or a pop-up amusement park in Saudi Arabia, named Beast Land. He also launched, via Beast Industries, the confectionery brand Feastables which, according to documents consulted by the Bloomberg agency, achieved around $250 million in turnover in 2024.

Beast Industries valued at $5 billion

According to American media, the company was valued at around $5 billion following fundraising in 2025. And in mid-January, Beast Industries again benefited from a $200 million investment from cryptocurrency company Bitmine Immersion Technology.

The 27-year-old American entrepreneur has now chosen to gain a foothold in the financial services space by acquiring Step, which offers interest-bearing accounts, payment and withdrawal cards, as well as investment products. Although it offers banking services, Step is technically not a financial institution but a platform backed by a bank, Evolve Bank & Trust.

“This acquisition positions us to offer our audience practical and technological solutions to favorably transform their financial future”, commented Beast Industries CEO Jeff Housenbold. Step counts among its investors several celebrities, including actor Will Smith, basketball player Stephen Curry and Tiktoker Charli D’Amelio.