History of David Portnoy in Timeline
David Scott Portnoy, the American entrepreneur known for founding Barstool Sports, experienced a maritime emergency when he lost control of his boat near Nantucket. Fortunately, the United States Coast Guard intervened, ensuring his safety.
March 22, 1977: Birth of David Portnoy
David Scott Portnoy was born on March 22, 1977.
2004: Bankruptcy Filing
David Portnoy filed for bankruptcy protection in 2004 as a result of substantial gambling debts, owing $59,000 to credit card companies and $18,000 to his father.
2004: Founding of Barstool Sports
In 2004, David Portnoy left his job at Yankee Group and founded Barstool Sports, initially a four-page sports newspaper distributed in Boston.
2007: Barstool Sports Goes Digital
Barstool Sports expanded its presence online by launching a blog in 2007.
2009: Marriage to Renee Portnoy
David Portnoy married Renee in 2009.
2010: Controversial Blog Post on Rape
In 2010, David Portnoy published a blog post containing a joke about rape that was widely condemned as offensive and promoting rape culture. Despite facing criticism, Portnoy defended his comments, further fueling the controversy and raising concerns about the platform's culture and impact.
2013: Unsuccessful Boston Mayoral Campaign
David Portnoy launched an unsuccessful campaign for mayor of Boston in 2013 following the retirement of Mayor Thomas Menino, identifying as a libertarian during the race. Despite raising over $17,000 in contributions, he failed to qualify for the ballot due to insufficient nomination signatures.
May 12, 2015: Arrest at NFL Headquarters
David Portnoy and three Barstool employees were arrested on May 12, 2015, after handcuffing themselves together inside NFL headquarters in New York City. This act of protest was in response to the Deflategate scandal involving Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, with Portnoy and his colleagues demanding a meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
2015: David Portnoy Endorses Donald Trump
In 2015, David Portnoy publicly endorsed Donald Trump for president, expressing his admiration for Trump's unconventional style and disregard for political correctness.
January 2016: The Chernin Group Acquires Stake in Barstool Sports
The Chernin Group, led by Peter Chernin, purchased a majority stake in Barstool Sports in January 2016.
January 2017: Separation from Renee Portnoy
David Portnoy and his wife, Renee, separated in January 2017.
2017: Launch of "One Bite Pizza Reviews"
David Portnoy launched his online show, "One Bite Pizza Reviews," in 2017 with the aim of reviewing every pizza place in Manhattan.
2019: Detention at Super Bowl LIII
David Portnoy was detained and held in a holding cell at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for a portion of Super Bowl LIII in 2019. This incident occurred after Portnoy used fake credentials to gain access to a press event the day before the game, resulting in him being prohibited from attending the Super Bowl itself.
2019: Estimated Net Worth
In 2019, David Portnoy claimed his net worth to be around $100 million.
2019: Anti-Union Controversy
In 2019, David Portnoy faced criticism and legal scrutiny for his anti-union stance, including threatening to fire employees who sought to unionize. This led to a response from the New York State Department of Labor and drew criticism from figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. While Portnoy eventually reached an informal settlement with the National Labor Relations Board, the incident sparked controversy and highlighted the debate surrounding labor rights and freedom of speech.
2019: NLRB Investigation and Settlement
In 2019, the National Labor Relations Board investigated David Portnoy for threatening tweets about firing employees who engaged in unionization efforts. Portnoy settled with the board in December 2019, agreeing to delete the tweets and remove potentially anti-union content from Barstool Sports.
January 2020: Tax Lien Filing
In January 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a tax lien against Portnoy for $11,795.
2020: Launch of the Barstool Fund
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, David Portnoy established the Barstool Fund in 2020, personally donating $500,000 to support struggling small businesses.
2020: Resurfacing of Offensive Videos
In 2020, several old videos of David Portnoy resurfaced online, showing him using racial slurs and making light of blackface, leading to renewed criticism and accusations of racism.
2020: Penn Entertainment Invests in Barstool Sports
In 2020, Penn Entertainment made a significant investment of $163 million for a 36% stake in Barstool Sports.
2020: Interview with Donald Trump
David Portnoy interviewed then-President Donald Trump at the White House in 2020.
March 2021: Relationship with Silvana Mojica
David Portnoy began dating model Silvana Mojica in March 2021.
May 2021: Barstool Fund Raises Millions
By May 2021, the Barstool Fund had raised over $39 million, providing assistance to 348 businesses impacted by the pandemic.
November 2021: Business Insider Exposé and Allegations
Business Insider published an exposé in November 2021 alleging that David Portnoy had engaged in violent and aggressive sexual encounters with three women without obtaining their consent for filming. Portnoy denied the allegations, stating the encounters were consensual and calling the article a "hit piece."
February 2022: Additional Sexual Assault Allegations and Lawsuit
In February 2022, Business Insider published a second article with more sexual assault and harassment claims against Portnoy by young women. Portnoy responded by announcing a lawsuit against the publication.
November 2022: Lawsuit Dismissal
A federal judge dismissed David Portnoy's lawsuit against Business Insider in November 2022.
2022: Criticism of Dobbs v. Jackson Decision
David Portnoy publicly criticized the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson decision in 2022, which overturned Roe v. Wade, characterizing it as a step backward and expressing support for a woman's right to choose.
2022: Shift in Political Stance
David Portnoy expressed concerns about voting for Republicans in 2022, citing the potential appointment of overly conservative Supreme Court justices.
February 2023: Appeal Dropped
David Portnoy dropped his appeal against the dismissal of his lawsuit against Business Insider in February 2023.
February 2023: Penn Entertainment Acquires Barstool Sports
Penn Entertainment completed its acquisition of Barstool Sports in February 2023 for $388 million.
August 2023: David Portnoy Re-purchases Barstool Sports
David Portnoy re-purchased Barstool Sports for a nominal fee in August 2023, with certain conditions in place, including non-compete agreements and a clause giving Penn Entertainment a 50% stake in case of future sales.
August 2023: Altercation at Dragon Pizza
In August 2023, David Portnoy was involved in a public altercation with the owner of Dragon Pizza in Somerville, Massachusetts, following his negative review of their pizza.
September 2023: First One Bite Pizza Festival
Barstool Sports, spearheaded by David Portnoy, hosted the inaugural One Bite Pizza Festival in Brooklyn, New York, in September 2023.
November 2023: End of Relationship with Silvana Mojica
David Portnoy and Silvana Mojica ended their relationship in November 2023.
February 2024: Donation to LifeLine Animal Project
David Portnoy donated $277,000 to the LifeLine Animal Project, an animal shelter in Atlanta, Georgia, in February 2024. The funds were raised through the sale of merchandise on the Barstool Sports website, inspired by Miss Peaches, a dog Portnoy adopted from the shelter.
March 2024: Fundraising for Fallen NYPD Officer's Family
Following the death of NYPD officer Jonathan Diller in the line of duty in March 2024, David Portnoy spearheaded a fundraising effort that raised over $1.5 million for Diller's family. This included $750,000 from T-shirt sales on the Barstool Sports website and a matching donation of $750,000 from Portnoy himself.