# Pete Smack Comedy Relief

I'll tell jokes while you make money

- Canonical URL: https://wefunder.com/petesmack
- Entity ID: wefunder:company:157087
- Last updated: 2026-06-06T05:02:15Z
- Generated at: 2026-06-07T00:18:51Z

## Quick facts
- You can't have a truly diversified portfolio if you're not directly invested in a standup comedian
- Likely your ONLY chance to invest in a promising comedian. Seriously, search everywhere; we'll wait
- Pete's a "clean" (i.e. not dirty) comic, which opens up more $ opportunities, such as corporate gigs
- His past: Goldman Sachs, Sports Illustrated writer, TV/film comedy writer, startup co-founder
- That varied history uniquely positions him to target non-traditional but profitable audiences
- Pete will do everything in his power to make this work—or die trying (kidding! kinda)

## Active fundraises
- wefunder:fundraise:116152: 4(a)(6) successful (USD)
- wefunder:fundraise:116151: 4(a)(6) successful (USD)

## Story
Welcome to the Wefunder raise for Pete Smack Comedy Relief!For the skimmers amongst you, there's a TL;DR summary below.For the rest of you, why should you mash that red 'INVEST" button?First, because it solves a problem you probably didn't even knew you had—which are often the most painful and hardest to fix.Problem: You're not truly diversified if you're not directly invested in a standup comedianHere's how to treat that pain point:Here's something you might not know...We're in the midst of a standup comedy boomAs this Bloomberg story from May 5, 2024, points out, standup comedy ticket sales—which are just one of several potential revenue streams for comedians—have nearly tripled over the past decade to more than $900 million in 2023. Wouldn't it have been cool—and profitable— to (literally) invest in the careers of big-name comedians when they were just starting out? Comics like Jerry Seinfeld (estimated net worth of $950M), Adam Sandler ($480M), Chris Rock ($60M) or Amy Schumer ($45M)? Or road warriors like Nate Bargatze (estimated tour revenue for the year ending Oct. 15, 2023 of $20.6M), Bill Burr ($20.6M tour revenue over the same period) or Matt Rife ($15.8M)?Well, you couldn't, because investing directly in standup comedians has never been a thing—until you opened this page.An investment in Pete Smack Comedy Relief entitles you to a share in 10% of my gross revenues for five-plus years, converting to equity on Jan. 1, 2030 at a $1M (pre-money) valuation. While I can't guarantee what your financial return will be—the lawyers were pretty adamant about that—I'm confident you'll have a fun and entertainingly documented ride.Why bet on me?Why should anyone bet on me succeeding in comedy, you might reasonably ask? Well, as all-too-many comics like to say, "Here's a little about me..."As you hopefully saw in the video at the top—it's worth watching if only for entertainment purposes—I started down the path to Pete Smack Comedy Relief after having a "vision" of being a successful standup comedian during a run on Christmas Day, 2022. Yes, I'm serious. Shortly after that Christmas Day run, I took a comedy class at Goodnights Comedy Club in Raleigh—complete with a "graduation show"—and simultaneously started the essential grind of the open mic circuit.I performed 103 times in 2023 alone, with the first coming on Feb. 7. I'll easily top that number this year, especially after going full-time starting July 1.With each performance, I became more and more convinced that this is how I want to spend the rest of my professional life—and that I can succeed at it. Here's that graduation show from March 5, 2023, less than five weeks after diving in to standup:Now let's see how I stack up against some top comics, including those with the big bankrolls mentioned above:Wow, I'm the only one in the coveted upper-right quadrant! WHO KNEW???Or if you're more of a checkmark fan..Guess who checks all the boxes, bay-bee!Some caveats on the box-checking:The "sold-out arenas" I've worked in to date came during my sportswriting days.I really do have Wikipedia and IMDb pages under my legal name. (For those who don't know, "Pete Smack" was my college nickname and is now my stage name.) When I lived in L.A. working as a comedy writer, I played in a weekly old-guy basketball game that included Adam Sandler.I appeared on both Today and Good Morning America on the same day because I was a juror on a six-month-long, high-profile criminal case that I wrote about for TIME magazine here.How is this going to work?If there is an Equity Financing, the SAFE could convert prior to January 2030.There are also additional perks at various investment levels:If you invest $500, you will receive two (2) free tickets at a special show(s) that I will headline at a nice club/theater TBD by the end of Q2 2025.If you invest $1K, I will include your (first) name in a joke I perform onstage, and provide video.If you invest $3K, I will perform a free, live comedy show for you and your friends/company/organization/whomever.If you invest $5K, as part of the free show for the $3K level, I can (gently) roast you and/or your friends/family/organization. I'll also contribute up to $500 of alcohol and/or food if desired.The perks are cumulative, so that if (for instance) you invest $3K to unlock a free show, you also receive the perks for crossing $500 and $1K.And to be clear, there is no cap! It's not like you need to stop at $5K.OK, so what's my plan?The Three S's provide a roadmapNothing is more important than stage time. That's why I'm leaving my current career to pursue comedy full-time as of July 1—I'll speed up my learning curve by getting much more stage time more quickly.Establishing a robust social media presence, meanwhile, has become increasingly important to booking gigs in addition to potentially generating direct revenue. (Speaking of, please follow me @iampetesmack on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and X.)Raising money also means that I can take calculated bets on myself. In addition to potentially self-producing a headlining show/tour or comedy special—which could help me book more and better-paying gigs—I could enlist a sharp young person to help with social media. (It worked like gangbusters for fellow middle-aged comedian Leanne Morgan; see stories here and here.)There's a saying in standup:CLEAN = GREEN ($$$)My comedy is clean because that's who I am and what I'm comfortable performing, but it also happens to be the most commercial kind of comedy. It opens up many more revenue-generating avenues—from network TV appearances to corporate gigs to cruise ships to country clubs to civic organizations to so-called "church shows."My personal story and unique work history uniquely positions me to target non-traditional but profitable comedy audiences, especially these two:The tech startup world, investment banks, private equity firms, etc., all of which spend real money for team-building events and entertainment. "55 and greater" active-living communities are booming, and the ever-younger, healthier and wealthier residents love to have a good time. (Check out this New Yorker story on the sprawling Margaritaville communities.) They will eat up my material on being "54 years young," like this set.I will also be attractive to college audiences, including gigs paid for by the administration as a vastly more entertaining form of career guidance. (Check out this set on my many careers from the NC's Funniest Person contest last summer.)Don't think I can act? Try this on for size and get back to me.You want some numbers?Forward-looking projections cannot be guaranteed.In part, I'm asking folks to invest to help me chase my dream of becoming a successful standup comedian, while riding along in the passenger's seat for an entertainingly documented journey. But I'm also asking you to invest real money, so we need to talk dollars.10,000 hours in comedyRealistically, I anticipate the revenue from my comedy career to be a slow build from a low base. I'm projecting figuring things out money-wise as I climb toward my 10,000-hour mark, a concept popularized by Malcolm Gladwell (after he surely swiped it from someone else). I expect to surpass 10,000 lifetime hours dedicated to standup sometime in early 2027. I believe the conservative case is, well, conservative. And frankly, my "dream case" is loftier than what's shown above, but I didn't want the scale to get too out of whack.Here is what 10% of the above projected gross revenues—i.e. the investors' collective share—will be through the end of 2029, which is the revenue share period. (Remember that on Jan. 1, 2030, your investment converts into equity as an added kicker.)Conservative case: $55,000Upside case: $116,500Dream case: $228,000As an investment, it comes down to this...Do you think I can hit the conservative case? Do you believe I have a fighting chance to approach the upside or even the dream case? Because that is what is going to determine the financial return.I can't make any guarantees, as the lawyers keep reminding me. But I will dedicate every fiber of my being to the effort. Shifting GearsHere's something I believe that might not be obvious...Of course, I would say that, right? Well, here are some reasons:TL;DR...To be clear, this isn't right for everyone.If you're still here, please consider joining me to:In case that was too subtle, I mean: Please click the "Invest" button, and...Pick a $ amount, fill out the info, and leave a note about how awesome/funny you think I am to encourage future visitors to this page to invest as well.While of course I do hope you invest, there are also ways you can help me for free, especially:Join my email list here.Follow me on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and X to see more of my comedy and so you're in position for the veritable flood of content that will start flowing by late summer.Click on Wefunder's "Watch For Updates" button (right below "Invest") so you can get my Wefunder updates. This is especially for those who are on the fence about investing and want to see and hear more before taking the plunge.Thank you!Yours in laughter,Pete Smack

## FAQ
1. **1. Do you have an agent, manager, booker, or other representation? 2. How many paying gigs have you booked in the past three months? 3. how will the 10% gross of your revenue be dispersed? 1099? 4. How will the investment convert into equity? 5. Will there be other comedians t...**
   - Thanks for the questions, Eugene! Here are some answers: 1. No, I don't currently have representation as a standup. In the past I have had reps as a writer and I hope to land reps as a standup in 2025. 2. Five 3. I believe the revenue share will be dispersed into your Wefunder account. I will need to confirm what tax forms (if any) I am obligated to provide annually, though of course I'll do whatever is required. 4. Investments will convert into equity on 1/1/30 at a pre-money valuation of $1...

## Team
- Pete Smack (CEO (Chief Entertainment Officer))

## Q&A
- Q: 1. Do you have an agent, manager, booker, or other representation? 2. How many paying gigs have you booked in the past three months? 3. how will the 10% gross of your revenue be dispersed? 1099? 4. How will the investment convert into equity? 5. Will there be other comedians that open for or work for Pete Smack Comedy Relief or is the entire business dependent on your health, wellbeing, and ability to perform well?
  - A: Thanks for the questions, Eugene! Here are some answers: 1. No, I don't currently have representation as a standup. In the past I have had reps as a writer and I hope to land reps as a standup in 2025. 2. Five 3. I believe the revenue share will be dispersed into your Wefunder account. I will need to confirm what tax forms (if any) I am obligated to provide annually, though of course I'll do whatever is required. 4. Investments will convert into equity on 1/1/30 at a pre-money valuation of $1,000,000, which means a valuation of $1M + the total amount raised. So any individual investor will own the % determined by the amount of their investment divided by ($1M + the total amount invested) 5. Currently, Pete Smack Comedy Relief is just me, and I am focused for the near term on establishing myself as an individual performer. Though in the past I have produced several comedy shows featuring other comedians in addition to myself and will continue to do so opportunistically. Hopefully as I establish myself as a successful performer I can bring others into the fold more formally as fellow performers, freelance help or employees. But fundamentally, this would be a bet on me and my ability to figure things out over the next 5+ years.