Dave Portnoy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dave Portnoy
Portnoy at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2019
Born	David Scott Portnoy (1977-03-22) March 22, 1977 (age 48) Swampscott, Massachusetts, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Michigan
Years active	2003–present
Employer	Barstool Sports
Spouse(s)	Renee Portnoy ​ ​ (m. 2009; separated 2017)​

David Scott Portnoy, born on March 22, 1977, is an American businessman and a well-known personality on social media. He is famous for starting and owning Barstool Sports, a company that focuses on sports and popular culture.

Early Life and Education

Portnoy grew up in Swampscott, Massachusetts. His father, Michael, was a lawyer, and his mother, Linda, was a high school teacher. He went to Swampscott High School. After high school, Portnoy attended the University of Michigan. He earned a degree in education from the university. While studying there, he created a website called thegamblingman.com. On this site, he shared his predictions for sports betting.

Career Highlights

Starting Barstool Sports

After finishing college, Portnoy moved to Boston. He first worked at an IT research company. In 2004, he decided to start his own company, Barstool Sports. It began as a small, four-page sports newspaper. Portnoy would hand out this paper on subway platforms and street corners in Boston. The newspaper was made for young men and had a bold style.

At first, Portnoy wrote all the content himself. Later, other writers joined him. The paper became more popular in 2004 when Portnoy started putting photos of women in bikinis on the front page. In 2007, Barstool grew and became a blog online.

Portnoy developed a public image as "El Presidente." This character was known for being direct and honest. His writing became very popular among young men. In 2016, a company called The Chernin Group bought a big part of Barstool. Later, in 2020, Penn Entertainment bought a large share of the company. Penn Entertainment then bought the rest of Barstool in 2023. However, Portnoy bought Barstool back in August 2023 for a small amount of money.

Barstool Shows and Podcasts

Dave Portnoy has hosted several shows and podcasts for Barstool Sports. One of these was "The Dave Portnoy Show with Eddie & Co." This podcast went on a break in October 2022. In January 2024, Portnoy announced a new show called "The Unnamed Show." He hosts this show with Ryan Whitney and Kirk Minihane.

One Bite Pizza Reviews

Portnoy is also famous for his internet show called One Bite Pizza Reviews. On this show, he visits pizza restaurants around the world. He then rates the pizza on a scale from 0 to 10. The show started as a friendly challenge between Portnoy and another Barstool employee, Dan Katz.

Portnoy began his pizza review journey in 2017. His goal was to review every pizza place in Manhattan. Sometimes, famous guests join him on his reviews. Portnoy rarely gives a pizza a score above 9.0. However, when he praises a pizza, those restaurants often become very popular. Many young fans of Barstool Sports visit them. In October 2023, The New York Times said Portnoy is very influential in the world of food social media. They noted he can change a pizzeria's success with just one review.

In August 2023, Portnoy had a disagreement with the owner of Dragon Pizza in Somerville, Massachusetts. This happened after Portnoy said the pizza was "a floppy mess."

Portnoy and Barstool Sports held the first One Bite Pizza Festival in September 2023. It took place in Brooklyn, New York. For the second festival, Portnoy gave all the money raised to Al Santillo. Santillo is the owner of Santillo's Brick Oven Pizza, which had been damaged by a fire. Portnoy also started a fundraising campaign that collected over $32,000 to help rebuild Santillo's.

Political Views

Portnoy's popularity and influence in politics are sometimes called Barstool conservatism. He describes himself as "socially liberal" but "fiscally conservative." He has been described as a strong supporter of President Donald Trump.

Portnoy did not agree with COVID-19 lockdowns. He questioned why the goal changed from slowing the spread to finding a cure.

In 2015, Portnoy wrote that he was voting for Donald Trump. He said he liked that Trump made other politicians uncomfortable and said things no one else would. He supported Trump in the 2016 Presidential election. In 2020, Portnoy interviewed Trump at the White House. He also supported and voted for Donald Trump in 2024.

Portnoy criticized the June 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. He said it made no sense for anyone to tell a woman what to do with her body. He also said it was "dangerous" to vote for Republicans because they might appoint judges who are too conservative to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In April 2025, Portnoy commented on new tariffs. He said he lost a lot of money because of them. However, he still planned to support Trump, calling him "a smart guy."

Boston Mayoral Campaign

In 2013, Portnoy ran for mayor of Boston. This was after Mayor Thomas Menino retired. During the 2013 Boston mayoral election, Portnoy said he was a libertarian. He raised over $17,000 for his campaign. However, he did not get enough signatures to be on the ballot.

Personal Life

Relationships

Dave Portnoy married Renee in 2009. They separated in 2017. From March 2021 to November 2023, Portnoy dated model Silvana Mojica.

Finances and Homes

In 2004, Portnoy faced financial difficulties. He later became very successful. In 2019, he said his net worth was around $100 million. This was before he received a large payment from Penn Entertainment.

Portnoy owns several homes. In 2023, he bought a house in Nantucket for $43 million. This was the highest price ever paid for a home in Massachusetts. In 2021, he bought a waterfront house in Miami for $14 million. He also bought a house in Montauk, New York for $9.8 million. In March 2023, he bought a fourth home in Saratoga Springs, New York, for $1.4 million.

Giving Back

Portnoy is also known for his charitable work. In 2020, he gave $500,000 to the Barstool Fund. This fund helped small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. By May 2021, the fund had raised over $39 million for 348 businesses.

In 2024, Portnoy donated $277,000 to the LifeLine Animal Project. This is an animal shelter in Atlanta, Georgia. The money came from sales of t-shirts, hoodies, and hats featuring Miss Peaches. Miss Peaches is a dog Portnoy adopted from the shelter. After a police officer was killed in March 2024, Portnoy raised over $1.5 million for the officer's family. This included money from t-shirt sales and a matching donation from Portnoy.

In May 2025, a drink called Lucky One Lemonade was launched. It is a partnership between High Noon and Portnoy, featuring his rescue dog, Miss Peaches. A part of the sales from these drinks will help rescue dogs. Through this partnership, Portnoy and High Noon aim to raise $1 million for rescue animals by the end of Summer 2025. They are working with LifeLine Animal Project and Best Friends Animal Society for this "Our Pack Gives Back" effort.

See also

• Barstool conservatism