Dave Portnoy sought to join the Business Insider union’s protests but found his efforts unrequited.
Before it got resolved on Wednesday afternoon, Business Insider workers had been on strike for nearly two weeks over involuntary changes to their health benefits.
The Barstool Sports founder has had lengthy beef with Business Insider founder Henry Blodget and editor-in-chief Nicholas Carlson over a 2021 story that accused him of sexual misconduct.
Portnoy said at the time that the claims were “100 percent untrue,” that the sexual encounters were consensual and that he was the victim of a “a hit piece,” which was “eight months in the making.”
On Wednesday, Portnoy published a seven-minute video in which he went outside Business Insider headquarters in Manhattan and attempted to picket with protesters.
Warning: graphic language
Portnoy sported a shirt that said “Henry Blodget is a crook” and a sign that read “Lock Henry Blodget up,” and before he joined the picket line spoke about how Blodget was barred from Wall Street for privately calling stocks “crap” but publicly writing positive reports about them while working for Merrill Lynch.
The other side of his sign read, “Nich Carlson is a tyrant.”
Immediately after Portnoy joined the circle of about a half-dozen picketing Business Insider workers, he was recognized and told by one woman to “Get the f–k out of here”.
“Nobody hates him more than me!” Portnoy said.
At this point, a male picketer informed his fellow strikers to “stop.”
Portnoy feigned confusion, referring to Blodget and saying, “Same team! He’s the worst! You know he’s a crook right?”
The man told Portnoy he could have his own rally, and continued to reject him from participating in their picketing.
On Tuesday, The Post’s Alexandra Steigrad published exclusive video of Carlson biking around Brooklyn and tearing down union signs with his face on it that said, “Have you seen this millionaire?”
Carlson had an awkward reaction with two reporters who confronted him — one a current worker, and the other who said she had recently been laid off — before proceeding to cross the street on his bike.
“Nicholas is a big boy and can handle attacks made on him on social media, but he was quite alarmed to see the posters plastered all over his neighborhood, including especially around his seven-year-old son’s school,” a Business Insider spokesperson told The Post.
“To be clear, Nich is not responsible for Insider Inc’s selection of healthcare providers! Also, Nich is not annoyed at the union — after all, it was only a handful who participated in the stunt — and he can’t wait to have them all back at work soon.”
Portnoy took a victory lap after the union declared that it had won and ended the strike.
HOLY S–T. WHAT CAN’T I DO? YOU ARE WELCOME @InsiderUnion, Portnoy tweeted.
“You guys were protesting for 2 weeks. It only took me 15 minutes to break @hblodget He didn’t want the real story out. Never forget who saved your ass.”