THE «PE Guy» is one of the most characteristic examples of how satire and social media can create a new form entrepreneurship.
ARTICLE SUMMARY
- His involvement began as a hobby, until the first commercial partnership with Black Tux. Without experience, he turned to ChatGPT to determine his fee, with the company directly accepting his proposal.
- Cooperation proposals began to multiply, while his followers asked for personalized videos. The Cameo platform contacted him, turning personalised messages into one of his main sources of revenue, creating nearly 1,200 videos.
- Commercial partnerships took off after a viral campaign with fintech Ramp. Despite success, he chose to manage his own business, using artificial intelligence for administrative work instead of traditional manager.
- Despite the mental and physical exhaustion caused by the continued interpretation of the role, his revenue exceeded a million dollars. This allowed him to leave his previous job as a trainer.
Johnny Hilbrandt's story looks out of the modern economy manual of content creators. Within just one year, a 36-year-old gymnast from the suburbs of Boston managed to turn a satirical personic who mocked private equity fund executives into a Company with revenue over a million dollars.
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The strangest thing is that the audience who embraced his character most were none other than... the very people who satirized and mocked!
Today «PE Guy», as known in Social networks, is one of the most typical examples of how satire, social media and artificial intelligence can create a new form of entrepreneurship that a few years ago would seem unthinkable.
Playing a stereotypical investor private equity
Hilbrandt's success occurred almost by accident. In March 2025 he began uploading videos on social networks playing a stereotypical private equity investor. His character collected all the clichés that accompany the world of high finance: overconfidence, obsession with profitability, incomprehensible corporate terminology and a permanent mood to turn everything into an investment opportunity. At first he treated it exclusively as a hobby.
«At first, I published two videos a week and didn't see it at all as a way to make money.», explains.
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The situation changed when a men's clothing company, Black Tux, contacted him about the first trade partnership. He had no idea how much he had to charge for an advertisement. Instead of addressing a manager or advertising office, he turned to ChatGPT.
«I asked ChatGPT how much I could charge based on the size of my accounts. I sent the number to the company and they agreed immediately.»He remembers.
The deal worked as a catalyst. Other companies saw that he had already worked with an advertiser and began to approach him. Within a few months his email was filled with proposals for cooperation.
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At the same time, his followers began to request personalized videos. At first he had no account on the Cameo platform, where famous and influencers charge video messages for fans. So he suggested that interested parties send him all the money they considered fair through Venmo.
Most offered from $200 to $400 for each video.
«Then I realized there was a real market for what I did.»He says.
Hilbrandt's success occurred almost by accident. In March 2025 he started uploading videos on social networks playing a stereotypical investor private equity / TICTOK
Soon after Cameo contacted him herself. Within a year he created nearly 1,200 personified videos, turning this activity into one of his most important sources of revenue.
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The major explosion, however, came from trade partnerships. Software companies, fintech startups, business technology services and consumer brands discovered that its self-sarcasting character could approach a particularly attractive audience: business executives, investors and young professionals working in the financial sector.
Among his best known partnerships was the one with the fintech company Ramp. The company's marketing team designed a viral campaign in which Hilbrandt, as PE Guy, «interviewing» the company's alleged financial director, actor Brian Baumgartner, known worldwide as Kevin from the series «The Office». The campaign was very successful and paved the way for even more deals.
Although he now works with major agencies and has signed a representation agreement with UTA, one of the largest talent companies in the world, he still manages almost all business decisions alone.
His character collected all the clichés that accompany the world of high finance: overconfidence, obsession with profitability, incomprehensible corporate terminology and a permanent mood to turn everything into an investment opportunity. At first he treated it exclusively as a hobby / TICTOK
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«I was offered people to take over and hold up to 40% of my income. That scared me. So I decided to be my own manager. I basically said I'd use ChatGPT as manager.», report.
This statement also reflects one of the greatest changes that artificial intelligence brings to the economy of content creators. Hilbrandt does not use ChatGPT to write scripts. Instead, he uses it for administrative work: email management, accounting issues, customer communication and partnership organisation.
«I never use artificial intelligence to write my jokes. It's my voice and I want it to stay that way.», clears up.
One of the most interesting elements of his success is that the character has begun to escape the limits of his original idea. While at first all videos were related to the world of private equity funds, today only 20% of its content refers directly to this sector.
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The major explosion, however, came from trade partnerships. Software Companies, fintech startups, business technology services and consumer brands discovered that its self-sarcasting character could approach a particularly attractive audience / TICTOK
PE Guy has evolved into a fake lifestyle influencer commenting on everything that happens around him: from trips with private planes and yachts to sporting events and luxury experiences.
This development has created a paradox. His followers have begun to treat character as a real person.
«If I advertise a product they don't like, they write to me that PE Guy would never use something like that.», says laughing.
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But behind success lies a less glowing reality. The constant interpretation of the character is exhausting. Hilbrand admits that after five or six Cameo videos he feels physically exhausted.
«I breathe heavier because I have to keep a certain body position and speak in a certain way. There are times when I get a new request and I think it will take me five minutes, but I finally decide that for today I'm full of PE Guy».
Despite the difficulties, the financial results are impressive. Total revenue exceeded one million dollars within 12 months, while increasing almost every month. Ironically, he started the character in part to satirize people who, as he felt, faced his profession high in gymnastics.
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For 10 years he worked in well-known fitness chains, such as Barry’s Bootcamp and SoulCycle. Gradually he began to realize that several of his clients now recognized PE Guy more than the trainer.
Το τέλος του 2025 αποτέλεσε σημείο καμπής. Κατάλαβε ότι δεν χρειαζόταν πλέον τη δουλειά του στον χώρο του fitness. Για πρώτη φορά στη ζωή του μπορούσε να ζήσει αποκλειστικά από έναν χαρακτήρα που είχε δημιουργήσει για πλάκα.
Και αν ο ίδιος ο PE Guy μάθαινε ότι η περσόνα του απέφερε περισσότερα από ένα εκατομμύριο δολάρια σε έναν χρόνο;
Ο Χίλμπραντ δίνει μόνος του την απάντηση, μιλώντας ως ο διάσημος χαρακτήρας του: «Θα άνοιγε διάπλατα τα μάτια του, θα άρχιζε να ιδρώνει και θα έλεγε: “Περίμενε λίγο. Μου λες ότι έβγαλες πάνω από ένα εκατομμύριο δολάρια σε έναν χρόνο; Άσε με να μιλήσω με την ομάδα μου και θα επανέλθω”. Μετά θα προσπαθούσε σίγουρα να αγοράσει μέρος της επιχείρησης».
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