Image: The Guardian Newspaper

Let me start by congratulating the comms team behind Gary Stevenson.

If you’re not familiar with him, he’s a former investment banker who has been producing content on social media under the brand “Gary’s Economics.” He speaks directly to the quote-unquote everyday, ordinary people, breaking down how we’re being shafted by those in positions of power.

Gary’s part of the wave of digital “experts” who emerged from COVID but hit another level of visibility after his appearance on Stephen Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast, alongside entrepreneur and Key Person of Interest author Daniel Priestley. From a comms point of view, Gary has hit ascent is fascinating because it works but also has some flaws that an inflicting chinks in the strategy. And here’s why.

Background and Origin Story

From what I understand, Gary was born in Ilford to a family that didn’t have much. Through serendipitous luck, blood, sweat, tears, and graft, he made it into LSE, an elite university that, let’s be honest, isn’t exactly designed for boys from Ilford. He smashed it, got into Citibank, became one of their top earners (though there’s debate over this), and then realised: no one knows what they’re doing. Gary decides to bet against the system – essentially our downfall and made his millions.

Here’s how his story has been used to connect.

Narrative Strategy

Gary’s connectivity comes from his position to speak to people without overtly alienating them. In the Bartlett interview, he openly slammed multi-millionaires telling poor people to just “start a business”, calling it not only unrealistic, but harmful. He brought in the example of his sister not being able to afford rent, tying it to inflation and government policy.

Here’s where it gets smart.

He uses his sister as a focal point to sidestep criticism. He’s not crying poverty. He  gives us a personal, assumed white female focal point to show he understands the struggle. He gets to hold vulnerability and relatability in one hand, and credibility in the other.

Personally I find that a bit tasteless. Gary – if he has any level of morality is likely to be helping his sister. But that part of the story would remind people that he actually holds wealth. On the other hand, if he’s not helping his sister it makes you question his integrity. Either way it feels like performative empathy.

Attack the System While profiting from It

This is the part of the strategy that is most ironic and effective. Gary attacks the very things he is. He’s a multi-millionaire attacking other multi-millionaires. He’s an entrepreneur attacking the dream of entrepreneurship. Gary’s book Trading Game is out now and h reached No.1 on the Sunday Times Best Sellers List. He says influencers are part of the problem while being one himself.

And yet, it works.

Why?

Because it gives him room to point the finger away from himself. Tapping into people’s    frustrations and biases.

Scripting

Gary’s got a script. His talking points are repeated across every platform: the system’s rigged, entrepreneurship won’t save you, and the working class is suffering. It’s giving media training and consistency.  But here’s the thing—after a while, you realise he’s not Denzel – able to flex many a role. He’s more Jason Statham: Always playing the same role (The Beekeeper. The Transporter. The Mechanic. Note how many film posters have him toting a gun…) If you’ve never seen it before, it’s entertaining. If you have, it’s tired. I think it became limiting for Gary because his ability to argue outside of those key points became difficult. We see the same in the Diary of a CEO interview where he takes the approach of badgering his fellow panellist which split the audience. Whilst some praised it as a tactic, it could also be seen as a bullish technique to hide and distract from any real, messaging. It’s often used in politics. Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House anyone?

Visual Cues

When filming his vlogs, Gary chooses to employ the ‘I’m Just Like You’ aesthetic. He’s has adopted the minimalist uniform of Silicon Valley’s rich: typically in hoodies or a t-shirt. No fuss. He’s usually sitting in what looks like his kitchen, talking face-to-camera. HD quality, yes, but the setup is simple. It’s stripped-back, unpolished and intentional. Gary’s vibe is: “Look, I’m just like you.” And it’s subliminal messaging at its finest.

Visibility by Association

Appearing on Diary of a CEO? Massive credibility boost. This platform alone gives him cultural capital. It’s the halo effect. Stephen’s platform is essentially saying, “This is someone worth listening to.” And Gary instantly gains access to millions who now think he’s an authority.

But what is missing from all the discussions Gary’s been having? Nuance and solutions.

I haven’t seen Gary present any real, tangible solutions. He’s brilliant at identifying problems, but then what? There’s no follow-up, no “here’s what you can do.” There’s also many layers missed by the Diary of a CEO interview.

Here you had three men – multi-millionaires – talking about financial hardship. But where was the lens on how this economy affects women? People of colour? Disabled people? Immigrants? It was all very male, very detached, and very surface-level.

Real talk: none of them are living paycheque to paycheque, so the conversation felt more like entertainment for likes than a real dive into the struggle.

And Gary’s viral moment brought out those looking to capitalise on his rising moment. Enter: Simon Squibb and other white male influencers suddenly critiquing Gary in public, hoping to go viral off the back of it. And honestly? It felt desperate.

Final thoughts

There’s a lot we can all take from Gary’s playbook, that can be applied by any of us and here they are:

• Lead with your origin story.
• Speak to pain points and make people feel seen.
• Pick your talking points and stick to them but also have the ability to move outside the box when you need to to avoid seeming shallow.
• Use visuals intentionally. What you wear, where you sit, how you film all communicate something.
• Leverage aligned platforms. Association builds credibility.

And here’s the bonus one:

Don’t just identify the problem: offer hope. If you’re going to shine a light on the mess, show a solution. Otherwise, it’s just emotional dumping.

Gary’s rise is the perfect case study in brand-building, relatability, and media mastery. But it also reminds us to dig deeper, ask harder questions, and hold the storytellers as accountable as the stories they tell.