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‘People are feeling the real impacts’: influencers use humor to make fun of the private equity industry

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‘People are feeling the real impacts’: influencers use humor to make fun of the private equity industry

Skits and parodies making fun of the trillion-dollar industry have taken over social media, racking up millions of views

Johnny Hilbrant Partridge kept getting stuck next to the same kind of finance guy at weddings – the one bragging about his family’s full-time nanny and lavish vacations while name-dropping elite club memberships and private schools.

To Partridge, a former fitness instructor, their shameless knack for self-promotion felt ripe for comedy. Using a filter that puts an exaggerated sneer on his face, Partridge donned a puffer vest and created “The PE Guy”, a caricature of the men who work in the private equity industry.

“All we did is acquire some youth hockey complexes, implement dynamic pricing and put some people on recurring revenue subscription models,” Partridge scoffed in a video after lawmakers introduced a bill this year to ban private equity from youth sports. “This country used to reward innovation, and suddenly it’s wrong to charge $11,000 for a development lacrosse weekend … give me a break.”

Since he first debuted the character last year, “The PE Guy” has racked up millions of views on Instagram and TikTok, becoming the most popular player in a fast-growing ecosystem skewering private equity. The multi-trillion-dollar industry has turned into a catch-all online for the ills of modern capitalism, inspiring “a day in the life” skits and parody rap music videos.

For many viewers, the draw is the dark humor, something that even the finance guys are embracing. Partridge said he gets invited to speak at insurance and private equity conferences and finance companies’ annual meetings as comic relief.


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