Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Stephanie Cruz

The Viral 'PE Guy' Turned Private Equity Memes Into a $1 Million Business in One Year: 'I'm Still Dumbfounded'

Cameo Instagram Ramp Snapchat
Creator Johnny Hilbrant, the brains behind the viral "PE Guy" persona, trading his signature Snapchat filter for a look at the solo entrepreneur running a seven-figure satire empire. (Credit: IG/ johnnyhilbrant)

A year ago, Johnny Hilbrant was teaching spin classes at SoulCycle and Barry's Bootcamp in Boston. Today, the 36-year-old is pulling in more than $1 million (£790,000) annually from a social media character born out of cocktail party frustration.

Hilbrant's creation — PE Guy, a grotesquely confident private equity executive who boasts about his Nantucket compound and his children's fencing lessons — has amassed over 340,000 Instagram followers since launching in March 2025. The revenue, verified by Business Insider, comes from Cameo videos, brand partnerships, merchandise, and corporate event appearances.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
US Schools Record Nearly 12,000 Book Bans, the Highest Ever in a Single Year, as 'Jane Eyre' and 'Lessons in Chemistry' Join the List
PEN America reports nearly 12,000 book-ban instances in US schools, a record total, as Texas overtakes Florida and AI tools enter the removal process.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Alice Zaslavsky’s shortcut beetroot baked risotto – recipe
An unconventional technique makes this vibrant rice – finished with dill fronds – a lower-touch dinner for weeknights
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Does your sleep tracker get it right? A Pittsburgh neuroscientist weighs in
On a typical night, I go to bed wearing a tracking watch on one wrist and another type of tracker on the other wrist. Then I compare their sleep findings while I drink my morning coffee.
The Conversation
The Conversation
There's A Reason Taxi Cabs Are Almost Always Yellow
Yellow taxis are easy to spot in traffic, but the color's history goes far beyond simple visibility.
Motor1
Motor1
How ‘technoference’ can disrupt parent-child connections
Have you ever been telling someone a story when their phone lights up, and their eyes flicker toward their device?
The Conversation
The Conversation
Holding Lightning by Emily Lordi review – an intimate portrait of Whitney Houston
An empathetic biography of the the singer recasts her tumultuous later career as a triumph of self-expression
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play