Gen Z investors' lessons learned since 2021 meme stock mania

Watch on YouTube ↗  |  January 30, 2026 at 18:26  |  1:29  |  CNBC
Speakers
Victor Robilla — Gen Z investor
Sharon Epperson — Senior Personal Finance Correspondent

Summary

The video examines how Gen Z investors who entered during the 2021 meme-stock craze have become more disciplined. It highlights expanded high school personal finance education and one young investor, Victor Robilla, who now invests in S&P 500 and energy-sector funds. The segment frames this as a shift toward goal-based investing, with Robilla hoping investment profits will help him buy a home.

  • The segment revisits the January 2021 GameStop meme-stock spike and crash.
  • Young investors learned risk-and-reward lessons from the meme-stock mania.
  • More states now include personal finance studies in high school curricula.
  • Victor Robilla first invested $50 in meme stocks while in high school.
  • Robilla now invests in funds tracking the S&P 500 and energy sectors.
  • He hopes investment profits will eventually help him buy a home.
  • The video emphasizes a more disciplined, goal-aligned approach among younger investors.
Ideas
Victor Robilla Gen Z investor 1:18
Invests S&P 500 and energy for home.
After experiencing the meme-stock boom and bust, Robilla says he learned important lessons in school and through experience. He is now taking a more disciplined, goal-oriented approach, investing in funds that track the S&P 500 and energy sectors, with profits intended to help him buy a home.
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This CNBC video, published January 30, 2026, features Victor Robilla discussing SPY, XLE. 1 trade idea extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.

Speakers: Victor Robilla  · Tickers: SPY, XLE