Who is Presidential Candidate Brock Pierce and What Does He Stand For?

Reporting and photography: Lieba Nesis

Former child actor, billionaire businessman, political dynamo-are all terms that don’t adequately describe phenom Brock Pierce. Born in Minnesota in 1980, achieving a modest degree of fame in 1992’s “The Mighty Ducks” followed by a string of minor roles, Brock decided to strike out on his own in finance at the tender age of 16.

Acquiring a minority interest in Digital Entertainment Network (DEN) in 1997, Brock helped raise $88 million in venture capital his first year on the job. The YouTube precursor, had an 18-year-old Brock making $250,000, until the Internet bubble burst in 2000. Brock flitted from one success to another starting a television channel in China in his twenties and becoming a cofounder of cryptocurrency Tether in 2014 which led Wired magazine to call him the “godfather of digital currency.” In February 2018 Forbes listed him as the one of the “Top 20 Wealthiest People in Crypto” with a net worth of close to $1 billion. That year Pierce made an unlikely move to Puerto Rico where he conducted business and set up an events and community center in the blockchain community at the hotel Monastery in Old San Juan. Brock also embarked on an ambitious plan to help Puerto Rico recover from Hurricane Maria donating time and resources to the ravaged country.

A year and a half ago Pierce began mulling a career in politics deciding to announce his unlikely candidacy for President of the United States as an independent on July 5, 2020 along with Vice President Karla Ballard-an African American woman who has no trouble matching Pierce’s fierce intellect as he transitions from one topic to another. Pierce achieved ballot access in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Colorado and has been endorsed by venture capitalist Tim Draper and singer and entrepreneur Akon.

Upon first meeting Pierce this Tuesday August 25th I was astonished at the intensity and energy emanating from the 39-year-old firecracker. The enthusiastic 40-person crowd joined Pierce at the Mondrian Park Avenue to discuss the upcoming election and brainstorm ideas for governance. Pierce spoke about his desire to give a voice to the voiceless by assisting Native Americans and empowering Africa economically with a free trade agreement that would allow them to finally achieve financial independence. He gracefully admitted that while not possessing all the answers on solving racism and economic disparity he was more than willing to try. He said the coronavirus had devastated the global economy with far-reaching ripple effects including 132 million people being at risk for starvation because of the agricultural industry halting food production and the dire economic straits of the unemployed. Pierce has been personally involved in delivering and distributing food from farmer to consumer along with raising $1 million for personal protective equipment-one third of which he donated.

He was hesitant to point the blame on China for the pandemic admitting that further investigation was necessary. When I inquired as to his fiscal outlook he replied he was currently not confined to the limitations of reality. While he believes “robbing Peter to pay Paul” was a mistake he was neither partial to the Republican or Democrat party but decried robbing future governments to pay for things now. “Eventually you have to pay the piper, but the question is on who’s watch,” stated Pierce. He also conceded his foreign policy was sympathetic to both the nationalist and globalist point of view with an aim towards finding a balance to “take care of and love thy neighbor.”

The final question I had for Pierce was whether he actually believed it was possible to steal the nomination. Pierce said his chances of winning were based on the far-fetched possibility that if he won three states no candidate would be able to declare a victory thereby forcing the House of Representatives to choose the winner based on 26 states. Hinging his fate on the outcome of John Quincy Adams election win in 1824, he was similarly hopeful that The House would choose a third place candidate to serve as President in 2020. After all the serious political talk concluded, guests headed to the Jungle Room to continue a night of revelry while most of New York has retired early to watch the Republican Convention.