John Richard Sheets

John R. Sheets is the co-founder and Chairman of Sheets Smith Wealth Management, an SEC-registered investment advisor he started in 1982 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, together with partner William ("Bill") Smith. He entered the investment business in 1969 and drew on experience across many areas of the field to build the firm into a broadly qualified wealth management practice serving high-net-worth individuals and families, retirement plans, endowments, and foundations.

Before founding the firm, Sheets was Vice President and Manager of the Capital Management Department at Wachovia Bank and Trust in Winston-Salem, where he provided financial, tax, and investment counsel to some of the bank's wealthiest clients. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Delaware in 1970 and has held the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) designation since 1982 — making him one of the earlier cohorts to hold the credential.

In addition to his advisory work, Sheets has served on the boards of directors of selected private companies in which his clients have invested, including serving as Chairman of the Board of a family-owned real estate business. It is this activity — investing in and governing private companies alongside clients — that underlies his classification as an angel investor. The firm he leads has been recognized among CNBC's 2025 Top 100 Financial Advisors and has earned the CFP® Board's Pro Bono badge for three consecutive years.

• Operates primarily as a wealth manager rather than a dedicated venture fund; angel/private-company investing is done selectively, often alongside firm clients.
• Investor databases list him as an angel investor focused on seed-round deals.
• Track record includes taking board seats at private companies — evidence he backs businesses he can help govern, not just passive checks.
• Deep roots in Winston-Salem and the North Carolina Piedmont Triad; local relationships and long-term stewardship are central to how the firm operates.
• No publicly stated, self-authored startup investment thesis (e.g., check size, target sectors) could be verified from primary sources.