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reACTIONary

(5,777 posts)
Mon Dec 20, 2021, 09:11 PM Dec 2021

Boycott Overstock!!!

A very apolitical friend of mine called my attention to this article and suggested that We boycott overstock. To encourage her, I told her I would bring up the idea on a political forum. I'm hoping to get a lot of recs in order to encourage her!

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A former Trump administration aide and a leader with a pro-Trump Christian group are helping Patrick Byrne, the multimillionaire Overstock founder and ex-CEO, run a nonprofit that has pushed false election conspiracy claims, according to a filing reviewed by CNBC.

Byrne, who was also longtime CEO of online furniture retailer Overstock, has an estimated net worth of about $75 million, according to data compiled by Celebrity Net Worth. Earlier this year, he self-published a book called “The Deep Rig: How Election Fraud Cost Donald J. Trump the White House

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/20/trump-allies-help-overstock-founder-patrick-byrne-push-false-election-claims.html

39 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Boycott Overstock!!! (Original Post) reACTIONary Dec 2021 OP
Not to be confused with taxi Dec 2021 #1
Sorry? It's the same company, is it not? CurtEastPoint Dec 2021 #2
It doesn't appear to be. taxi Dec 2021 #4
same company. Google it. WarGamer Dec 2021 #9
There sure are quite a few people here doing all the work of this boycott. taxi Dec 2021 #10
The boycott is illogical. WarGamer Dec 2021 #11
+ + taxi Dec 2021 #13
+10000000000000000 Celerity Dec 2021 #22
Didnt they change their name to O Dot Com? Chipper Chat Dec 2021 #28
I don't think so... reACTIONary Dec 2021 #30
The Byrne in the article is... reACTIONary Dec 2021 #6
So it is meant to confuse the online furniture one with the online retailer. taxi Dec 2021 #7
Overstock.com.... reACTIONary Dec 2021 #15
Cool idea but four days before Christmas? jimfields33 Dec 2021 #3
It was a big step forward for her... reACTIONary Dec 2021 #5
Bad idea. WarGamer Dec 2021 #8
+ taxi Dec 2021 #12
It's not dumb... reACTIONary Dec 2021 #16
Again. Byrne has NOTHING to do with OSTK WarGamer Dec 2021 #18
I respect your opinion, and... reACTIONary Dec 2021 #19
My opinion? Ok. How about the facts? WarGamer Dec 2021 #20
Advocating a boycott is a good idea... reACTIONary Dec 2021 #21
Agreed... political engagement is good. WarGamer Dec 2021 #23
I hate all T's!!!! Celerity Dec 2021 #32
I agree, Celeri*y. WarGamer Dec 2021 #36
Lol, well played Celerity Dec 2021 #38
Good point! James48 Dec 2021 #25
+100 nt reACTIONary Dec 2021 #31
Thanks! Gore1FL Dec 2021 #24
K&R n/t denbot Dec 2021 #14
Thanks! nt reACTIONary Dec 2021 #17
Wikipedia says Byrne announced his affair with summer_in_TX Dec 2021 #26
Its not all about him... reACTIONary Dec 2021 #35
I haven't bought anything from them in over a decade. nt yaesu Dec 2021 #27
+100 nt reACTIONary Dec 2021 #34
What can Overstock do, in your mind, to rectify this situation? Takket Dec 2021 #29
They definitely can.... reACTIONary Dec 2021 #33
This is just flat silly. The person in question has no current MineralMan Dec 2021 #37
I feel chastened. 😢 reACTIONary Dec 2021 #39

taxi

(1,896 posts)
1. Not to be confused with
Mon Dec 20, 2021, 09:18 PM
Dec 2021

the Overstock that is traded on Wall Street closed today at $61.92 with a market cap of almost $3 billion. symbol OSTK

taxi

(1,896 posts)
4. It doesn't appear to be.
Mon Dec 20, 2021, 09:32 PM
Dec 2021

from the OP -
- who was also longtime CEO of online furniture retailer Overstock

which refers to -
- the multimillionaire Overstock founder and ex-CEO (previous paragraph)

It is easy to think they are one in the same, but there is nothing refering to the well known Overstock dot com. There is an online furniture retailer named Overstock that is cited.

Although, it is possible that the conditions allow for both to be true.

taxi

(1,896 posts)
10. There sure are quite a few people here doing all the work of this boycott.
Mon Dec 20, 2021, 09:50 PM
Dec 2021

It seems like interesting work to find out what I either already have or don't care to know about so I can boycott it.

What are we up to? 6 or 7 yet? I'm skipping the boycott in favor of moving something forward.

reACTIONary

(5,777 posts)
6. The Byrne in the article is...
Mon Dec 20, 2021, 09:39 PM
Dec 2021

... the former ceo of overstock.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_M._Byrne

Due the "." in the link you will have to cut n paste to view it.

taxi

(1,896 posts)
7. So it is meant to confuse the online furniture one with the online retailer.
Mon Dec 20, 2021, 09:43 PM
Dec 2021


eta - which Overstock are we being asked to boycott?

reACTIONary

(5,777 posts)
15. Overstock.com....
Mon Dec 20, 2021, 09:57 PM
Dec 2021

... the one that is associated with the former ceo Patrick M. Byrne. It is referred to in the article as "overstock".

WarGamer

(12,484 posts)
8. Bad idea.
Mon Dec 20, 2021, 09:44 PM
Dec 2021

I won't say DUMB idea... because it's not polite

Patrick Byrne is NOT the CEO of Overstock.Com and sold ALL of his stock in 2019.

So by boycotting OSTK, you'd be hurting the MILLIONS of shareholders including municipalities who pay pensions to retired school teachers, librarians and LEO.

Oh and you'd be hurting the 1613 employees.

Let me ask YOU.

Is it a good idea to boycott OSTK?


https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/19/former-overstock-ceo-byrne-sold-his-shares-blaming-the-deep-state.html

A filing at the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday showed he gifted 87,000 shares and sold his remaining 4.7 million.

reACTIONary

(5,777 posts)
16. It's not dumb...
Mon Dec 20, 2021, 10:09 PM
Dec 2021

... its aspirational. A first step towards greater involvement in the greater good!

As mentioned, it was the idea of a friend who is apolitical and came up with the idea on her own. I'm hoping to encourage her by seeing how many recs I can get. I think its good to encourage folks along those lines.

However, you are right. I will mention those considerations to her. AND I will officially call off the boycott if overstock repudiates and disassociates itself from him.

So give her rec!

WarGamer

(12,484 posts)
18. Again. Byrne has NOTHING to do with OSTK
Mon Dec 20, 2021, 10:13 PM
Dec 2021

Nothing.

Why not boycott GE because the letter G is the first letter in GOP?

WarGamer

(12,484 posts)
20. My opinion? Ok. How about the facts?
Mon Dec 20, 2021, 10:17 PM
Dec 2021

One more time.

Explain to me WHY boycotting OSTK is a good idea.

Give me your best shot.

It would make more sense (still very little sense) to boycott Palantir or Paypal because of their association with Peter Thiel, former Trump advisor and RNC speaker.

reACTIONary

(5,777 posts)
21. Advocating a boycott is a good idea...
Mon Dec 20, 2021, 10:27 PM
Dec 2021

.... because it will give my friend encouragement towards becoming more politically active. What would be one small step for some, is one giant leap for her! It is the lighting of a candle, rather than the cursing of the dark!

(And thanks again for the kick!)

WarGamer

(12,484 posts)
23. Agreed... political engagement is good.
Mon Dec 20, 2021, 10:41 PM
Dec 2021

But there's no reason to boycott OSTK.

None.

Like I said, might as well boycott stock ticker symbol "T" which is AT&T because T reminds you of Trump.

It's silly.

Gore1FL

(21,152 posts)
24. Thanks!
Mon Dec 20, 2021, 11:04 PM
Dec 2021

My first reaction when I read "former" was wondering if the target was real or not.

There was a similar issue with a former Publix MAGA heiress earlier this year. She wasn't involved in the company, but Publix was targeted anyway.

summer_in_TX

(2,754 posts)
26. Wikipedia says Byrne announced his affair with
Mon Dec 20, 2021, 11:20 PM
Dec 2021

Maria Butina in 2019 and was asked to step down from Overstock, which he did. At first he hung onto stock, but later in the year he divested.

I'd decided on my own to boycott Overstock as soon as I heard about him. But now I see it won't touch him at all.

Maybe some research will turn up something that would affect him. But boycotting Overstock won't.

reACTIONary

(5,777 posts)
35. Its not all about him...
Tue Dec 21, 2021, 06:53 AM
Dec 2021

... its about providing the public with a way of showing disgust with the ideas he advocates and letting others know that there could be consequences for themselves.

Overstock can take a stand against him. They can publicly repudiate him and disassociate themselves from him and his ideas.

Publix did that when it turned out that the Publix heiress was supporting similar right wing causes.

Every news article about her mentioned Publix. Every news article about him mentions Overstock. Overstock should do what Publix did. A boycott would help that along, and would set an example for others to be warry of.

Takket

(21,629 posts)
29. What can Overstock do, in your mind, to rectify this situation?
Mon Dec 20, 2021, 11:38 PM
Dec 2021

I'm not sure how they can take a stand against a person that doesn't work for them.

reACTIONary

(5,777 posts)
33. They definitely can....
Tue Dec 21, 2021, 06:49 AM
Dec 2021

... take a stand against him. They can publicly repudiate him and disassociate themselves from him and his ideas.

Publix did that when it turned out that the Publix heiress was supporting similar right wing causes.

Every news article about her mentioned Publix. Every news article about him mentions Overstock. Overstock should do what Publix did. A boycott would help that along.

MineralMan

(146,331 posts)
37. This is just flat silly. The person in question has no current
Wed Dec 22, 2021, 02:00 PM
Dec 2021

connection to that company. So, a boycott won't affect him in any way. That has been pointed out in several posts below. So, to continue calling for a boycott to please your "apolitical" friend makes no sense at all.

False associations of a person with a business entity is what one normally calls a "lie."

You should self-delete your post, now that you know the facts.

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