Casey Neistat

Casey Neistat (born March 25, 1981, in Gales Ferry, Connecticut) is an American filmmaker and one of YouTube's most influential creators. He dropped out of high school in his sophomore year and worked as a dishwasher and short-order cook in Mystic, Connecticut before moving to New York City. His filmmaking career began around 2001 collaborating with artist Tom Sachs, and he gained international attention in 2003 with the viral short *iPod's Dirty Secret*, which criticized Apple's lack of an iPod battery-replacement program. In 2010, HBO aired *The Neistat Brothers*, and he launched the YouTube channel that would make him a household name; his 2012 Nike *Make It Count* film became an early example of viral branded content.

In 2015, Neistat co-founded Beme, a social video app built around unedited, authentic clips, where he served as President and a board member. CNN acquired Beme in November 2016 for a reported ~$25 million; Neistat departed in early 2018, and the product was wound down. After leaving CNN, in 2018 he founded 368 — a collaborative creative space for video creators in New York, named after its 368 Broadway address and likened by Neistat to Andy Warhol's "Factory." 368 announced its closure in February 2024.

Alongside his creative work, Neistat has been an active angel investor, deploying personal capital into roughly two dozen startups. His investing overlaps heavily with his creator and consumer-brand expertise, and he frequently co-invests with well-known operators and angels such as Tony Fadell, Naval Ravikant, and Alexis Ohanian. His estimated net worth is commonly cited in the ~$18–27 million range as of 2026.

• Writes small angel checks, typically $25K–$100K, mostly at the seed stage (with some later-stage participation).
• Gravitates toward consumer, media, creator-economy, and DTC brand companies where community-building and storytelling matter — areas that mirror his own strengths.
• Also active in FinTech and Web3/crypto, reflecting an interest in democratizing access (e.g., retail investing).
• Brings distribution and brand value: as Public's marketing lead put it, "Casey is someone who understands how to build communities from the ground up and engage people in a way that is authentic," calling him "instrumental in changing the narrative of investing."
• Tends to back products with a strong consumer/brand hook (e.g., a $35 designed aperitif, a premium webcam), suggesting he says yes to companies with distinctive design and cultural resonance.