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. 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.
The company is publicly traded as PSQH on the New York Stock Exchange.
History
Public Square was founded by Michael Seifert in 2021 as an alternative to Amazon. It was initially based in San Diego. The platform officially launched on July 4, 2022.
In 2023, the board of directors was chosen to include Michael Seifert, Omeed Malik, Nick Ayers, and Blake Masters.
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.
In June 2023, the company announced it was awarding a "baby bonus" to employees that decide to have or adopt a child.
In July 2023, former United States Senator Kelly L. Loeffler was appointed to the company's board of directors.
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!". That same month, the company became the first major advertiser on Tucker Carlson's new show on X, formerly Twitter.
In November 2023, Bloomberg reported that the company has looked for loopholes in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) rules.
On November 6, 2023, it hosted its first official Town Hall in Indianapolis featuring Indiana congressman Jim Banks and Donald Trump Jr.
In March 2024, Public Square acquired the buy now, pay later firm Credova which focuses on processing the sales of firearms.
In December 2024, it was announced that Donald Trump Jr. was joining the company’s board of directors.
References
- Nerkar, Santul (September 18, 2023). "Some Businesses Make 'Woke Free' a Selling Point" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
