Elon Musk Gushed Over Dave Portnoy’s COVID Rant. Then Things Got Awkward.
Elon Musk started fawning over Barstool Sports "Presidente" Dave Portnoy, and things got real awkward, real quick. | Source: Frederic J. BROWN / AFP (i), Cliff Hawkins / Getty / AFP (ii). Image edited by CCN.com.
- Elon Musk wants Dave Portnoy to run for office.
- The tech billionaire must have missed the time the Barstool “Presidente” unloaded on him after his “Tesla stock is too high” tweet.
- What’s more, Portnoy actually had the guts to acknowledge it.
Dave Portnoy wants America to reopen for business. His viral rant caught the eye of another vocal advocate for loosening the coronavirus lockdown – Elon Musk, who tweeted that Portnoy should run for office.
That’s when things got hilariously awkward. The Barstool Sports founder has been a vocal critic of the tech billionaire, and to his credit, he had the stones to acknowledge it in a response.
Dave Portnoy Rips Elon Musk After Billionaire Praises Him
Elon Musk hasn’t been shy about his belief that the coronavirus shutdowns have gone on long enough.
So when Dave Portnoy unleashed his own profane rant about coronavirus lockdowns, Musk was first in line to fawn over the Barstool Presidente’s remarks – and urge him to “run for office.”
(Portnoy tried that once . It didn’t go well.)
While case numbers continue to rise and experts in epidemiology urge vigilance, the Tesla and Barstool bosses have united in their argument that the government has it wrong and needs to ease restrictions as soon as possible.
But this is seemingly where the budding bromance stops.
Because what’s even more important than “freedom?” Money! And Portnoy hasn’t forgotten Musk’s infamous tweet that sent Tesla’s stock price into a tailspin.
Here’s what Portnoy had to say after TSLA tanked earlier in the month ,
F–king Elon Musk… Hey, d-ck, what are you f–king doing?… If I had big money in Telsa and he comes across Elon Musk and says it’s too high, you have the right to murder him…
You wanna talk about freedom, Elon Musk? Who cares if it’s too high, that’s not you, that’s good for your f–king people that are investing in you. Piece of sh-t.
After Musk subsequently praised his recent COVID-19 rant, a less principled self-destructive individual might have simply taken the praise from one of the world’s most famous billionaires, but that isn’t Portnoy.
The Barstool and DDTG Global chief might be abrasive, but when you listen to his actual opinion, he’s pushing surprisingly reasonable arguments for easing restrictions.
Elon Musk, on the other hand, continues to spread unsubstantiated theories that governments are intentionally inflating coronavirus statistics .
Barstool Sports & Tesla Are Not a Match Made in Heaven
Portnoy’s reference to the SEC is particularly awkward, as Musk has had several tough run-ins with the regulatory body in the past .
Aligning with a billionaire would be the exact antithesis of the anti-pinstripe DDTG Global, so kudos to Portnoy for ideological consistency and not getting starstruck.
Update: Nevermind.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.
