American comedian, producer, spokesperson, and actor Kevin Hart has built an empire out of his gift for humor and established himself as one of the world’s highest-paid performers.
Hart made his big break after winning multiple stand-up comedy competitions when Judd Apatow gave him a recurring role on the television show Undeclared.
The comedian, who only ranks second after Jerry Seinfeld among comedians on Forbes’ list of the 100 highest-paid celebrities, rose to prominence in Hollywood films such as Get Hard and The Wedding Ringer.
Early Life
Kevin Hart was born on July 6, 1979, and had a difficult upbringing. Henry Witherspoon, his father, was a drug addict who served lengthy prison sentences. Nancy, Kevin Hart’s single mother, raised him and his brother Robert. Hart claims that his sense of humor came about at a very young age and served him well during his difficult upbringing. One of the early clues that led him toward comedy, he even claims that he made his mother laugh to avoid giving him beatings.
Net Worth
As of 2023, Kevin Hart’s net worth was $450 million. In addition to being a successful stand-up comedian, producer, and businessman, Hart has acted in popular films like Ride Along, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and The Secret Life of Pets.
He attended the Community College of Philadelphia for a short time after graduating from George Washington High School. Still, he left and relocated to New York City, where he worked as a shoe salesman and gave stand-up performances at different comedy clubs under the stage name Lil Kev.
After Hart won multiple competitions and attracted the attention of Judd Apatow, who gave him a recurring role on the TV series Undeclared in 2001—a pivotal moment in his career—his comedic career took off.
Businesses
Hart is the founder of HartBeat Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in media, technology, lifestyle, and wellness businesses. According to TechCrunch, J.P. Morgan made the company’s first outside investment in 2022, with a portion of the funds going toward a fund to support underrepresented founders.
GoPuff, a consumer goods and food delivery business, Path Water, Hydrow, and Moonpay, a Web3 platform, are some businesses in HartBeat Ventures’ portfolio.
HartBeat Productions is his own production company. Private equity firm Abry Partners invested $100 million in HartBeat Productions in 2022. HartBeat Productions was valued at $650 million at the time of the transaction. Starring Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish, Hartbeat’s debut film, Night School (2018) brought in over $100 million worldwide.
Gran Coramino, Hart’s premium tequila line, retails for between $50 and $100 per bottle. The comedian also owns VitaHustle, a line of protein drinks and supplements. Hart opened Hart House, a plant-based restaurant, in Los Angeles in 2022. There are four Hart House locations in the city as of October 2023. Over the years, Hart has also partnered with numerous well-known companies, such as Fabletics, Draftkings, Chase, and SiriusXM.
Stand-Up Comedy
Kevin’s first love and the area in which his career truly took off was stand-up comedy. With the release of his debut album, “I’m a Grown Little Man,” in 2009, Kevin made his debut in the country’s comedy scene.
His second album, “Seriously Funny,” which he released in 2010, further solidified his place as one of the most popular up-and-coming comedians. However, Hart’s 2011 “Laugh at My Pain” tour, which brought in over $15 million, was the catalyst that sent him into the stratosphere. It was among his best-performing comedic tours.
Hart started his “What Now?” world tour in 2015 and performed in over 100 cities worldwide. With an estimated $70 million in revenue, the tour proved how popular Hart is becoming.
Acting
Kevin Hart landed a role in the television series Undeclared in 2000 after taking first place in multiple comedy contests. Despite the short run of the show, Hart was approached for multiple film roles. Paper Soldiers, a 2002 crime-comedy film, was the comedian’s first feature film. He starred in Scary Movie 3, Soul Plane, In the Mix, and Little Fockers between 2003 and 2010, all the while establishing himself as one of the best comedians in the country.
Kevin Hart starred in the popular movies Think Like a Man and The Five-Year Engagement in 2012. He co-produced and starred in the humorous television series Real Husbands of Hollywood the following year. The comedian and Ice Cube collaborated on the commercially successful Ride Along in 2014. A year later, Hart starred alongside Will Ferrell in the successful movies Get Hard and The Wedding Ringer. In 2016, Kevin Hart co-starred with Dwayne Johnson in the spy comedy film Central Intelligence and the sequel Ride Along 2.
In 2017, Hart portrayed Moose Finbar in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and voiced George Bernard in the animated film Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie.
Awards
- 2020Emmy-Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program: Nominated
- 2019People’s Choice Awards-Favorite Comedic Movie Actor: Nominated
- 2019People’s Choice Awards-Favorite Animated Movie Voice: Nominated
- 2016People’s Choice Awards-Favorite Cable TV Actor: Winner
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