the beast has been around since eden. it's the system. get a clue.
Jesus Christ says the Beast is a man, who, along with the False Prophet, will be thrown alive into hell:
And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. (Revelation 19:20)
I'll go with what God says about what the Beast is.