September 2025
It is rare for a fintech founder to take a company all the way from founder to the public markets to an acquisition, but that is the story of Dee Choubey, founder of MoneyLion. At our September dinner, Dee shared insights from over a decade building one of fintech's most successful platforms.
After more than a decade on Wall Street, including stints at Goldman Sachs, Citadel, and Barclays, Dee witnessed firsthand how traditional banking systematically failed everyday Americans. That frustration sparked MoneyLion's founding in 2013 with a clear mission: leverage AI and machine learning to reframe how people engage with their finances. What began as a digital lending platform evolved into a comprehensive ecosystem combining banking, investing, credit products, and personalized financial guidance in a single app.
MoneyLion was very early in its leverage of social media as an engagement tool. Dee explained the thinking here and how they were able to build their social media following to millions of consumers, the largest in all of fintech. Their partnership with YouTube star Mr. Beast broke new ground in financial services, introducing the MoneyLion Beast Games, and helped them expand their reach to new heights.
MoneyLion went public via a SPAC merger with Fusion Acquisition Corp in September 2021, debuting on the NYSE under the ticker ML, proudly inheriting Merrill Lynch's former symbol. During our dinner, Dee discussed in detail the lessons learned from that SPAC journey. The process brought both opportunities and challenges, from navigating timing delays to understanding the importance of finding the right sponsor who truly understands both your business model and the capital markets. The experience reinforced that going public isn't just about raising capital, it's about finding partners aligned with your long-term vision.
"MoneyLion's success came from assembling owner-operators who bought into the mission rather than simply showing up for a job."
— Dee Choubey, Founder of MoneyLion
Dee emphasized something that resonated throughout the evening: the critical importance of having a great founding team. MoneyLion's success, he stressed, came from assembling owner-operators who bought into the mission rather than simply showing up for a job. That dedication to the vision became MoneyLion's foundation through every pivot and challenge.
The company's trajectory took another significant turn in December 2025 when Gen Digital announced its acquisition of MoneyLion. After reaching a record 2025 revenue of $546 million with 20.4 million customers, MoneyLion entered its next chapter, one that promises expanded opportunities while maintaining its core mission of financial empowerment.
For entrepreneurs in the room, Dee's journey offers a masterclass in persistence, strategic timing, and the power of building with people who genuinely care about the mission you're pursuing.
