Free speech-oriented alternatives like Rumble have grown in popularity as Big Tech companies like YouTube have increasingly censored conservative voices. And Rumble’s newfound popularity has particularly attracted the attention of a couple notable investors.
PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel and Hillbilly Elegy author J.D. Vance have both made investments in the free speech-oriented video platform Rumble. Thiel and Vance’s investments have appeared to garner support from other conservatives and right-leaning groups for the platform as well. The Wall Street Journal (The Journal) reported: “The investment is being led by Narya Capital, a Cincinnati-based venture-capital fund co-founded by Mr. Vance and Colin Greenspon, and by Mr. Thiel, who is also a Narya investor, in a personal capacity. Colt Ventures, the family office of Dallas investor and former Trump adviser Darren Blanton, is also part of the investment group.”
At this point, few details of the investment have emerged. The Journal continued: “The size of the transaction wasn’t disclosed. One person familiar with the matter described the investment as significant. Other people familiar with the matter say it values Rumble at around $500 million.”
The platform apparently has big plans for the investments it received. Rumble reportedly “will use the money to beef up its video infrastructure, including its live-streaming capabilities and global presence, and to build out its server capacity to the point that it can begin offering cloud solutions to other businesses, according to Rumble Chief Executive Chris Pavlovski,” summarized The Journal.
Rumble saw a massive increase in downloads in November following the presidential election. The Media Research Center (MRC) also joined Rumble in April in response to Big Tech’s continued onslaught of censorship against conservatives. Rumble has established its video platform as a free speech-oriented alternative to YouTube. MRC Founder and President L. Brent Bozell boldly announced the move: “I am proud to announce that the Media Research Center is officially on Rumble. As Big Tech uses its monopolistic grip over speech to silence conservatives, it is ever more important to adopt and support social media platforms that defend our freedom of speech.”
The need for alternatives has continued to grow as Big Tech companies like YouTube expand their suppression of conservative voices. YouTube recently suspended conservative comedian Steven Crowder’s channel again, reportedly for an episode on his “Louder with Crowder” show headlined “Wake Up! Columbus Police Shooting of Ma’Khia Bryant Was Justified!” The platform also banned the channel of the pro-life, nonprofit outlet LifeSiteNews in February 2021.
Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on “hate speech” and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us at the Media Research Center contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
