Go ahead and add Kevin Hart to the list of A-level talent jumping on the private equity party bus. Three sources tell me the actor-comedian-producer is in active talks to sell either all or a piece of his prolific company, and the suitors have lined up. Hart’s rep declined to comment.
It’s two companies, actually. Hart runs Hartbeat Productions, a film and television shingle, and Laugh Out Loud, his comedy brand focused on showcasing diverse comedians, and he’s in the process of combining them, along with other entertainment assets, to better position them for a transaction. One source tells me the merged company is projected to do $100 million in revenue in the next year, and while that wouldn’t be too surprising given how active and popular he is, these projections are always iffy. No word on the desired valuation, either, but LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s Springhill Entertainment, which recently said it will generate $100 million in the next year, was valued at $725 million in its latest funding round. Good for Kevin Hart.