“I Love This”: Dave Portnoy Cheers Elon Musk’s Decision to Unverify a Major News Outlet on X

Dave Portnoy, the self-styled ‘El Presidente,’ founded Barstool Sports in 2003. His original intention was irreverent coverage of sports and popular culture. In 2020, Penn Entertainment acquired a stake in Portnoy’s company. Around three years later, they gained full control of the company via a deal worth $551 million. That marriage did not last very long. Portnoy got control of the company back for a measly sum totaling $1, according to Investopedia.

There are certain “non-compete and restrictive covenants” included in the deal. Portnoy made it clear via X, formerly called Twitter, that he has no intention of contemplating another sale. He said, “… the regulated industry is probably not the best place for Barstool Sports and the type of content we make.” His reputation did not help their cause much, according to Portnoy. Part of the reason behind the rift was because of Penn Entertainment’s association with a particular media outlet.

Dave Portnoy “loves” removal of popular media outlet

The Vanguard Group, Inc. is a majority shareholder in Penn Entertainment. They are also a majority shareholder in the New York Times, a publication with whom Portnoy has beef. Dave Portnoy was gleeful at seeing the New York Times apparently lose their verified status on X. Portnoy added the words, “I love this. @elonmusk removed the @nytimes verification badge because they consistently post misleading, false info. They should never be treated as real journalists. They are activists. The @TheBabylonBee is a better source for real info at this point.” He posted a screengrab of the same.

Both failed to see eye-to-eye following the publication of an article on Portnoy. The article in question was one Dave Portnoy considered defamatory. Portnoy offered multiple times to sit down with their reporter, only to be rebuffed every time. In the end, the New York Times published the article saying Portnoy was unavailable for comment. The two parties also famously clashed before Portnoy’s “One Bite Pizza Festival,” too.

The successful “One Bite Pizza Festival”

The news outlet asked the local pizzerias involved in the festival whether they had any qualms about supporting and working alongside Portnoy. That was considering his standing as a controversial figure. Dave Portnoy did not hesitate to rub the event’s success in the noses of his detractors. Over 5,000 people showed up for that event despite the provocation and heavy precipitation.

Read More – Riding the Wave of Pizza Festival Triumph, Dave Portnoy Snags a Whopping $42 Million Masterpiece in Nantucket

Portnoy flooded his social media handles with content highlighting the same. On Instagram, he thanked every participating pizza place, sponsor, and fan who showed up. Simultaneously, he took a potshot at his critics. Dave Portnoy wrote, “… for all those who hate me…I just kicked your a** again. #onebite”

Portnoy considered operations under the restrictions placed by Penn Entertainment to be “one step forward, two steps back.” Though they expected to lose up to $850 million on the sale, they gave Barstool Sports back to its founder. It remains to be seen if Dave Portnoy can keep hold of his company for the long term.

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