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Charlie Kirk played a key role in bringing Rumble to Longboat Key

Charlie Kirk was instrumental in bringing Rumble to Longboat Key, helping the platform expand its presence in the area.
posted by Anisa Nandy
Monday 9/15/2025 at 4:03PM EDT
  • LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 20: Charlie Kirk speaks onstage at Politicon 2018 at Los Angeles Convention Center on October 20, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael S. Schwartz/Getty Images)
    LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 20: Charlie Kirk speaks onstage at Politicon 2018 at Los Angeles Convention Center on October 20, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael S. Schwartz/Getty Images)

    Years back, Chris Pavlovski and Charlie Kirk met at a Longboat Key office building, exploring possibilities for a new venture. Kirk, well-known for his clear conservative commentary and being a founder of Turning Point USA, had gained attention with his early work on Rumble. Along with Pavlovski, who is the chairman and CEO of Rumble, they looked for new spots along the Gulf Coast. This was after the company chose to move its main base from Canada.

    In a room with a jade-green carpet and a fine view of the sea, a big choice was made for the future of the quickly rising media site. Kirk identified the location as the ideal headquarters for Rumble. Pavlovski said (via Observer):

    "We were looking out over the water and (Kirk) looked at me and said, 'Hey. This is Rumble's headquarters. It's got to be."

    He had bought a condo in the Longboat Key Beaches in 2019, but often stayed at his house in Phoenix and also maintained an apartment in Arizona. On Wednesday, Kirk was tragically killed while he was talking at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University.

    Rumble grows in Florida with focus on free speech

    At the beginning of 2023, Rumble, the video site founded in 2013, chose Longboat Key for its main office, adding a wave of high-paying tech jobs to the island. CEO Chris Pavlovski noted that Florida's big push for free speech swayed the choice, along with his own links to the Gulf Coast and many trips to Venice close by. The firm's plan for minimal content moderation has made it a magnet for conservative voices and media figures, like Charlie Kirk, who got millions of fans after he joined the site. 

    According to the Observer, Pavlovski described Kirk as one who deeply valued free expression, especially at a time when discussing certain views on the election or COVID was restricted on major platforms like YouTube. He loved free speech but also gave a lot to his family and was known to be true and right. First, he began as an investor, but as time went by, he turned into a close pal.

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    TOPICS: Charlie Kirk


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