MrBeast Just Bought a Teen Banking App and His Most Vocal Critic Says Parents Should Be Worried
Jimmy Donaldson—better known as MrBeast, the world's most-subscribed YouTuber with over 450 million followers—has officially entered the financial services industry. His company, Beast Industries, acquired Step, a mobile banking app designed for teenagers and young adults, on 10 February 2026. The deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed, gives MrBeast direct access to more than seven million young users through a platform offering credit building, savings tools, and the Step Visa card.The announcement did not land in a vacuum. It arrived alongside renewed scrutiny from Rosanna Pansino, a 40-year-old YouTuber and baker with over 14 million subscribers, who has spent more than a year publicly challenging MrBeast's character and conduct. And who has been specifically alarmed about his ambitions in children's finance.Pansino's Warning, AmplifiedSpeaking on 'The Viall Files' podcast, Pansino did not hold back. She pointed out that MrBeast's core audience is children and raised direct concerns about his financial expansion, saying his primary audience is 'children, and now he wants to open a bank, or he's opening a bank. Your kids can get a MrBeast credit card. Can't wait.'She went further: 'I think he is an extremely dangerous person, and I wish more people knew who he was behind the camera, because I think, not the kids, but especially the parents. I think they should know because he is so popular and it does hold a lot of weight and influence.' Pansino also said she believed MrBeast had no intention of taking her to court. 'I know too much. They know what I know,' she said, implying that a lawsuit would open discovery proceedings neither side would welcome.
A History of AllegationsPansino's concerns about MrBeast did not begin with fintech. In October 2024, she reported alleged internal company chat logs to the FBI, claiming the messages—taken from what she described as an official MrBeast work Telegram channel—contained content she described as 'inappropriate, especially for a company that targets children.' MrBeast's team did not respond to those specific allegations.Her broader campaign against Donaldson began in 2021, when she alleged that his team had edited her performance in his 'Extreme $1,000,000 Hide and Seek' video to misrepresent her placement. That dispute escalated to encompass allegations about working conditions on his Amazon Prime Video show 'Beast Games', the conduct of former collaborators, and concerns about how his brand targets minors.
Pansino raises concerns over MrBeast’s banking move
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The Step AcquisitionBeast Industries framed the deal as a mission-driven move. In a post on X, Donaldson said: 'Nobody taught me about investing, building credit, or managing money when I was growing up. That's exactly why we're joining forces with Step. I want to give millions of young people the financial foundation I never had.' Jeff Housenbold, CEO of Beast Industries, added that the acquisition aimed to 'meet our audiences where they are, with practical, technology-driven solutions that can transform their financial futures for the better.'Step, founded in 2018 and backed by fintech giant Stripe as well as celebrity investors including Stephen Curry and Justin Timberlake, is not itself a licensed bank. It operates through a partnership with Evolve Bank & Trust and offers a Visa card, savings account, and access to an investing platform—all with no monthly fees. Roughly 39 per cent of MrBeast's viewership falls between the ages of 13 and 17.
Expert CautionThe move has drawn scrutiny beyond the content drama. Lee McKnight, Associate Professor in the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University, said that while MrBeast demonstrates 'market savvy' in entering banking, he questioned whether people should choose financial services based on social media influence. Consumer protection groups have separately flagged concerns about mixing MrBeast's young audience with complex financial products.Beast Industries was valued at $5.2 billion as of 2024 and is reportedly planning further expansions, including a phone service called Beast Mobile. MrBeast's commercial footprint in the lives of young people continues to widen, making the voices of critics like Pansino harder to dismiss, whatever one believes about the underlying allegations.
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