Public Square (company)
PublicSq. (Public Square) is an American online marketplace which bills itself as "anti-woke" and supportive of the pro-life movement as well as conservatism and traditional American values.[1] It was founded by Michael Seifert and is headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida. As of July 2023, the platform hosts over 55,000 small businesses.[2]
The company is publicly traded as PSQH on the New York Stock Exchange.[3]
History
[edit]Public Square was founded by Michael Seifert in 2021 as an alternative to Amazon.[4] It was initially based in San Diego.[5][6] The platform officially launched on July 4, 2022.[2]
In 2023, the board of directors was chosen to include Michael Seifert, Omeed Malik, Nick Ayers, and Blake Masters.[7]
In February 2023, the company announced that it would consolidate with the special-purpose acquisition company Colombier Acquisition Group for $200 million in order to go public.[8][9]
In June 2023, the company announced it was awarding a "baby bonus" to employees that decide to have or adopt a child.[10]
In July 2023, former United States Senator Kelly L. Loeffler was appointed to the company's board of directors.[2]
In July 2023, the company went public on the New York Stock Exchange as PSQ Holdings Inc. People on the floor of the stock market chanted "U-S-A!".[5] That same month, the company became the first major advertiser on Tucker Carlson's new show on X, formerly Twitter.[11]
In November 2023, Bloomberg reported that the company has looked for loopholes in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) rules.[12]
On November 6, 2023, it hosted its first official Town Hall in Indianapolis featuring Indiana congressman Jim Banks and Donald Trump Jr.[13][14]
In March 2024, Public Square acquired the buy now, pay later firm Credova which focuses on processing the sales of firearms.[15]
In December 2024, it was announced that Donald Trump Jr. was joining the company’s board of directors.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ Nerkar, Santul (September 18, 2023). "Some Businesses Make 'Woke Free' a Selling Point" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ a b c Telford, Taylor (July 30, 2023). "Meet PublicSq., the 'anti-woke' marketplace backed by Donald Trump Jr". The Washington Post.
- ^ Danziger, Pamela N. "A Freedom Economy Is Emerging And PublicSq. Marketplace Is On The Vanguard". Forbes.
- ^ Debter, Lauren (July 20, 2023). "Trump Jr.-Backed Anti-'Woke' Online Marketplace Goes Public Via SPAC". Forbes.
- ^ a b Fabbro, Rocio (September 19, 2023). "'Woke-Free' Marketplace PublicSq. Claims to Have 65,000 Businesses". The Messenger. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024.
- ^ Smolens, Michael (November 12, 2021). "Job platform for unvaccinated people is silent on COVID-19 dangers". The San Diego Union-Tribune.
- ^ "PublicSq., a Leading Values-Aligned Marketplace, to Go Public via Combination with Colombier Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: CLBR)". Yahoo Finance. February 27, 2023.
- ^ "Omeed Malik's SPAC Nears Deal with 'Patriotic' Marketplace PublicSq". Bloomberg. 26 February 2023.
- ^ Primack, Dan; Fischer, Sara (May 31, 2023). ""Anti-woke" movement finds itself an investment vehicle". Axios. Retrieved Oct 1, 2024.
- ^ "Company announces 'baby bonus' for employees expecting or adopting a child". Catholic News Agency.
- ^ Korach, Natalie (Jul 17, 2023). "Tucker Carlson's Twitter Show Lands Major Ad Deal With Anti-ESG Company". Retrieved Oct 1, 2024.
- ^ "Anti-Woke Marketplace PublicSquare Looks for ESG Rule Loopholes". news.bloomberglaw.com.
- ^ "Donald Trump Jr., U.S. Rep. Jim Banks to participate in PublicSq town hall". October 27, 2023.
- ^ Scheer, Robert. "'Anti-woke' the theme of Trump Jr's endorsement". The Indianapolis Star.
- ^ "Public Sq. acquires buy now, pay later firm Credova". Retrieved Oct 1, 2024.
- ^ Egan, Matt (December 3, 2024). "Donald Trump Jr. is joining the board of a 'woke-free' marketplace. Its stock is surging". CNN Business.
