The Barstool Sports guy has been raising millions for small businesses. See his office
Dave Portnoy has been living large while doing good.
The Barstool Sports founder has been on a massive fundraising drive while laying his head at a three bedroom, super styling rental in South Beach.
Going rent: A cool $38,000 a month, but Dave got the number down to 35K, a rep for the unit at 1 Hotel & Homes confirmed to the Miami Herald.
If you want to snap it up yourself, the oceanfront pad, repped by Richard Goihman and Neal Klotsman of Douglas Elliman, is currently available.
The multimillionaire investor has vacated the premises but still hanging around the area, most recently drinking purple cocktails at Swan in the Design District with Latin music star Anitta over the weekend.
Is this the life, or what?
But before you drag on the controversial entrepreneur for wintering in Florida in such luxe digs, we should tell you Portnoy is indeed sharing the wealth.
The Massachusetts native has raised a heckuva lot of money via his Barstool Fund to help more than 100 small U.S. businesses in trouble. The New Yorker kicked off the online 30-day fundraiser Dec. 17 by giving $500,000 of his own dough to dozens upon dozens of people affected by the pandemic. More than $22 million has since been raised by thousands of the sports blogger’s so-called Stoolies, aka followers, as well as celebrities like Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Guy Fieri.
Portnoy said he was moved to act to help struggling Americans after he complained the U.S. government wasn’t helping enough and “The Profit” star Marcus Lemonis challenged him to put his money where his mouth was. His mouth, which normally consumes pizza for the site’s One Bite reviews around the country, did.
Portnoy’s one rule to qualify for national donation is the particular business has to be still be paying its employees, and ideally has been around a community for a number of years. Once a place is deemed for financial windfall (though the amount is not listed, the donation is thought to be in the $5,000 to $20,000 range), Portnoy personally calls the beleaguered owner to deliver the good news. The subsequent emotional reaction ensues, sometimes set to sappy music for full effect.
So far, those chosen have included mostly hard hit restaurants and bars, but there have been a few salons, dry cleaners, barber shops, limo services, youth sports organizations and more.
The Prez, as he is known to his legions of fans, says he will continue to help people throughout the pandemic and gave no end date for the philanthropic drive.
“Each month, we will continue to cut you a check for how much you need to stay in business until this thing is over,” Portnoy promises in one of his videos on the fund’s site.
As of yet, no Miami (or South Florida) spot has been included in the fund but the 44-year-old has been at least helping our local economy, spending a considerable chunk at establishments owned by local nightlife king David Grutman.
On Monday, Portnoy ventured out to the city for a pizza review of Giotto Maestro on West Avenue in Miami Beach.
Is Portnoy — who for years been denounced for his derogatory content and misogynistic treatment of women — becoming more human by the day?
“What am I’m doing?” he said outside the restaurant in the video posted on social media after the visit. “I’m saving the world and eating pizza. My heart has gone from black to like, light pink. I’m like mush right now.”
Score for the Neapolitan style slice: A stellar (for him): 7.8.
This story was originally published January 12, 2021 at 11:11 AM.
