Dave Portnoy’s ex has full access to his bank. Would he let her spend $500K on a wedding to another man? ‘100%’

“I trust her implicitly,” he told Sharpe, recalling that she was around when “[they] couldn’t afford a hamburger” and stuck around “through the grind.”

But because they separated just as the money arrived, “she doesn’t get to enjoy any of [it],” Portnoy pointed out, adding that, “to [him], that’s not right.”

How the money grew so much — and the legal details that matter more

The timing is the twist. Peter Chernin’s company bought 51% of Barstool in 2016, valuing it at $10 million to $15 million, a year before Portnoy and Renee separated.

Penn Entertainment later bought a 36% stake in February 2020 for about $163 million and the remainder in February 2023 for about $388 million, for a combined $551 million. Portnoy bought the company back for just $1 that August. He’s reportedly worth around $250 million today.

At that estimate, a $500,000 spend is roughly just 0.2% of his wealth. It would also be an outsized wedding by any standard. The Knot’s 2026 Real Weddings Study found that couples who married in 2025 spent an average of $34,200, so a $500,000 affair would cost more than 15 times that.

Portnoy sees his acceptance as being loyal.

“I’m a loyalty guy,” he said.

He’s also fine with Renee dating someone, adding that he wants her to be happy. When Sharpe suggested cutting her off, Portnoy replied: ”I won’t even notice if it’s gone.”

“We’re still technically married right now, so she still has access,” Portnoy said in 2025, adding that a Massachusetts divorce attempt was denied.

That’s a reminder that living apart isn’t the same as being divorced. In Massachusetts, a judgment of divorce becomes final only after a waiting period, and the state won’t let you remarry until it passes.

Bank accounts add another factor. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s deposit-insurance guide says joint-account coverage hinges on all co-owners having equal rights to withdraw. This means that a co-owner may be able to take out money without your sign-off.

What to do if your own story is messy

Is Portnoy the most loyal man in America, or is this a mistake waiting to happen? For someone with $250 million, it’s a gamble that costs what may feel like pennies. But handing over open access to someone who’s no longer your partner leaves you exposed, however good the history, and most people can’t shrug off a six-figure withdrawal.