Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy has revealed the extreme steps he’s taken to guard himself—and his home—against the rising threat from “lunatics,” admitting his fear that the hatred he receives from online trolls is at risk of evolving into very real-life abuse.
Portnoy, 48, opened up about his fears around his safety, during an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, telling host Tony Dopoukil that he has become “far more aware” about the potential threats he is facing, not only as a an outspoken political commentator but as a member of the Jewish community.
In a preview from the sit-down, which is due to air in full on Nov. 16, Portnoy, who hails from Massachusetts, was asked by Dopoukil whether his life has changed as a result of the rising risk of “political violence,” to which the Barstool founder said: “Yeah, I’m far more aware of it.
“For the first time ever I had security at my house 24/7. You know, you start getting into these yahoos on social media and there’s like yahoos. I don’t even know what they’re saying. But they start talking about me, trying to get my name probably used because they’re just in this endless cycle of needing to stay in the news.
“But they’ll open the floodgates on, just, lunatics.”
He went on to note that he has seen a “definitive shift” toward antisemitism, revealing that he receives hateful abuse about his faith “every day now.”
Portnoy added that this “shift” has made him all the more aware of the importance of speaking out and raising awareness, revealing: “For me, being a Jewish person, like, you got to step up. You’re kind of someone people look up to in the Jewish community.
“You have to be, like, ‘All right, this is not normal ‘ha ha’ with the guys. People are coming up with real hate.'”
Days before his full CBS interview is due to air, Portnoy shared a glimpse at the kind of hate he was referring to, posting a shocking social media video of a himself being heckled with antisemitic slurs outside a pizza shop in Mississippi.
The video, which was being filmed as part of his legendary pizza review series, showed Portnoy leaving Boardtown Pizza and Pints in Starkville, MS, with a pie in his hand, before eating the first slice and offering up his thoughts on the “char” and the oil levels.
Declaring the pizza a 7.2/10, a review that earned a round of applause from a watching crowd, Portnoy went on to reveal the rest of his plans for his trip to Starkville, only to be interrupted by a 20-year-old Mississippi State University student yelling: “F— the Jews. F— you, Dave Portnoy.”
The heinous slur elicited boos from the crowd, before the camera panned to show the student—who has been identified by police as Patrick McClintock, being shoved away from the area.
Portnoy then urged McClintock to show his face on camera, only for the college student to respond: “F— you, get out of Starkville.”
The Barstool Sports founder proceeded to confront the 20-year-old, who was kept at a distance by Portnoy’s burly security guard as he accused the businessman of suggesting he should be “put in handcuffs” for making those kinds of antisemitic “jokes.”
“Handcuffs? No, I never said handcuffs,” Portnoy responded.
“You did, you said it should be a crime,” McClintock continued as he was shoved away by the guard, hurling coins in Portnoy’s direction as he went.
The Barstool baron appeared to shrug off the incident at the end of the clip, noting to the crowd that there are “a–holes everywhere you go,” before praising them for quickly shutting down McClintock’s hateful words.
However, Starkville police later arrested McClintock on a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace; he was released on a $2,500 bond and later withdrew from MSU.
While the incident was filmed after the CBS interview took place, Portnoy told Dopoukil via text message that he had declined to press charges against McClintock, explaining: “For me, his face being attached to this incident for the rest of his life should be punishment enough if we live in a sane society, which is a big if.”
In its reporting, CBS pointed to an Anti-Defamation League report, which indicates that antisemitic incidents across the U.S. have risen by 893% in the last 10 years, noting that this is the “highest number on record since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents 46 years ago.”
“I’ve seen in my own experience, just being Barstool, the difference in how much hate I get,” Portnoy told the outlet. “I never got… I mean occasionally… there’s a definitive shift.”
The incident in Mississippi came days after Portnoy spoke out to express major concerns about the future of New York City, where Barstool is currently headquartered, under the leadership of newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Speaking during a livestream appearance on Barstool’s “The Unnamed Show” podcast, which was filmed days before the mayoral election took place, Portnoy confessed his desire to move Barstool out of New York for good if Mamdani claimed victory.
“If it was just me, I would move the company out of New York City because I hate this guy so much,” he said, before adding: “But I won’t because there’s a lot of people in New York, and I don’t want to change their lifestyle for it.”
Portnoy has been an outspoken critic of Mamdani, 34, for months now, telling Fox News back in July that he believed the Democratic socialist “hates capitalism” and would cause harm to the New York economy.
Although his company is located in New York—for now—Portnoy himself has long been based outside of the city, spending his time traveling between his multiple homes, which are located in Florida, Massachusetts, where he was born and raised, and the Hamptons.
Just recently, the Barstool founder added an extraordinary new Florida dwelling to his already impressive property portfolio, snapping up a $27.75 million mansion in the picturesque village of Islamadora.
Portnoy’s newest abode sits on a 1.65-acre waterfront lot and spans 10,228 square feet.
It was the second major real estate purchase Portnoy has made in the Sunshine State within the last five years, having also bought an enormous waterfront mansion in Miami back in 2021—when it had last been listed for $15 million.
Back in his home state of Massachusetts, Portnoy opted not to buy in his home town of Swampscott, instead picking up two adjacent homes in Nantucket for $42 million in 2023.
According to multiple reports, the purchase set a record for the island and the state at the time. He reportedly spent an additional $2 million on furniture.
The two homes sit on 1.2 acres on the popular vacation isle: a 5,200-square-foot main residence and a two-bedroom guesthouse. There’s also a pool and harbor views for miles.
Perhaps the most intriguing feature of the home is its underground tunnel, which connects the guesthouse with a separate studio, both of which are separate from the enormous main residence.
And when the media mogul wants some R&R closer to his company’s New York office, he can head to his Montauk, NY, mansion, which he is understood to have purchased for $9.8 million in 2021.