Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy says he is seriously considering relocating his company out of New York City following the election of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani — a self-described socialist backed heavily by Gen Z voters.
Portnoy has openly criticized young voters who champion far-left policies, telling Fox Business host Stuart Varney before the election:
“Blahhhh… makes me want to puke, Stuart. These are kids who’ve probably never had a job in their lives. They’ve been coddled, reading books about how the world works — but never actually lived in it.”
He added that he opposes any system that “disincentivizes initiative and hard work.”
Considering a Move Before the Votes Were Cast
Just days before the election, during a livestream, a viewer asked Portnoy whether he would shut down Barstool’s New York office if Mamdani won.
Portnoy admitted he was already thinking about it:
“Honestly, I’ve given that a lot of thought — and he’s definitely going to win.”
He said he has looked at potential offices in Hoboken and Jersey City but expressed concern about disrupting employees’ lives:
“I don’t want to uproot everyone’s life because I hate the guy… It’s a Catch-22.”
Still, Portnoy confirmed he asked Barstool’s finance team to start scouting locations outside the city:
“I told our finance guy, start looking around for property. No joke. Take a principle stand.”
After the Election
While Portnoy has not yet announced whether he will follow through, he shared his reaction after Mamdani’s victory, writing on X:
“If this is what the people of NYC want, then so be it. Thank God I don’t live there anymore.”