Steal Ending EXPLAINED: Who Was Real Mastermind In 4 Billion Pounds Heist?

Created by Sotiris Nikitas, Steal is a twisty thriller that drops a new piece of information at the end of each episode. The Amazon Prime Video series stars Sophie Turner, Archie Madekwe, and Jacob Fortune-Lloyd.

Turner plays the crafty Zara Dunne, who is pursued by the London police, MI5, and the thieves who believe she is a loose end. So what does Zara ever find out about who was actually behind the heist? The ending might surprise you. Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

What happens to Zara’s best friend Luke?

During the heist at pension-fund investment company Lochmill Capital, Zara (Turner) and her bestie Luke (Archie Madekwe) are chosen by the armed robbers to carry out the transfer of 4 billion pounds from the pension funds to their offshore accounts. The two trade processors are back office workers, but the London police, led by DCI Rhys Covac (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd), immediately suspect the two and put them under surveillance.

Despite having eyes on both of them, Luke is kidnapped by the robbers after he has a panic attack following the heist. Luke had earlier called Rhys, seemingly to confess. For much of the six-part series, Luke was kept captive by the robbers in a faraway location until he tried to escape after trying to bribe one of them. But he is caught and brought to Zara’s flat to take her share of the money.

Are Zara and Luke part of the heist?

Yes, twist number one of Steal reveals early on that Zara and Luke were paid 100,000 pounds by the robbers to transfer the money. Later, they discover five million pounds each in their digital wallets. The two suspect someone higher up is also part of the plan but can’t figure out who. After Luke’s kidnapping, Zara discovers Milo Carter-Walsh (Harry Michell), a wealthy senior risk analyst and investment committee member, was in on it.

When one of the robbers, Morgan (Andrew Howard), shows up at her house, holding Luke hostage, she points him towards Milo, who has received 20 million pounds as part of his payment. Zara also finds out that Luke and Milo were working together, and she was probably chosen to be the fall person. At his house, Morgan and Milo face off, and the robber fatally stabs him.

Where does the money go?

Covac and his team, assisted by financial investigator Darren Yoshida (Andrew Koji) attempts to track the money and discover it in the bank accounts of high-ranking politicians, billionaires, and famous celebrities. Later, the money vanishes from their accounts, taking some of the cash as well, while exposing the unethical ways in which they use their wealth.

Who is the real mastermind?

After a massive shootout at Lochmill Capital, where Morgan faces off against the remaining crew of robbers, only three people are left standing: Luke, Zara, and Rhys, who was injured during the gunfire. Rhys, who has been dodging debt collectors due to his gambling addiction, is let go from the force. Luke and Zara move on from Lochmill as well. The money is shockingly returned to the company, so in the end, none of the everyday workers’ pension funds are lost.

In the final sixth episode, Rhys suddenly realises that it was none other than Darren, the investigator who was on the inside the whole time. He was the one who hired the robbers and sent them tips after the heist, after he was officially on the cast. After Rhys and Zara confront him, Darren reveals that he did not intend for anyone to get hurt but wanted to expose the corrupt financial systems that reward the rich and take from the poor.Darren offers them 10 million pounds for their silence, but the duo turns him down and walks out of Lochmill. Rhys is feeling a bit dazed when Zara reveals that she has Milo’s digital wallet, with 20 million pounds from the heist. Her 5 million pounds were already confiscated by the cops, and she hid Milo's during the shootout. On her last day at Lochmill, Zara walks away a millionaire with a risky gamble that paid off.