Joe Rogan apologizes after Jack Dorsey interview backlash

Joe Rogan issued an apology on episode #1238 of The Joe Rogan Experience in early February 2019 after backlash to his interview with Jack Dorsey, who led Twitter and Square and oversaw Cash App. He told listeners the reaction caught him off guard, calling it “poor prior planning on my part” and adding, “I f—ed up.”

The original conversation, recorded in late January 2019, focused on Twitter’s rules and the companies’ work in payments and bitcoin. Viewers criticized the interview as too soft on enforcement questions at X. The response showed up on YouTube, where downvotes far outnumbered upvotes, 61,000 to 9,000.

In the follow-up, Rogan confirmed a sponsorship link to Dorsey. “He sponsors the podcast through the Cash App, which he also runs. That’s one hundred percent true,” he stated. He maintained the relationship was disclosed during the Dorsey episode and pointed to the company’s support for a charity tied to the show.

As of Feb. 4, 2019, the show’s sponsors page listed Cash App alongside a referral code offering users $5 and $5 donations to Justin Wren’s Fight for the Forgotten, with an additional $5 toward medical bills for the son of UFC fighter Ray Borg.

The sponsorship drew further attention after media personality Alex Jones alleged Rogan was “on the payroll” of Cash App and claimed a $300,000 monthly payment. Rogan did not address any figures, reiterating only that Cash App is a sponsor and that he mentioned the link on air.

Listeners also raised issues with how bitcoin and Cash App were handled in the interview. Dorsey indicated Cash App supports buying and selling bitcoin and had no plans to add other cryptocurrencies. Critics sought more detail on how the app works for bitcoin, including the lack of user-controlled private keys and limited use for merchant payments.

Rogan told his audience that Dorsey agreed to return for another interview and bring a team member to address technical and policy matters. He also highlighted a point from the first discussion that he viewed positively, quoting Dorsey’s line that access to platforms is “a right.”

Rogan, a stand-up comedian and longtime podcast host, has built a large audience with long-form interviews. Dorsey has faced questions from users about rule enforcement on Twitter and about digital currency services at his companies. The apology episode did not slow the debate in comment sections, and many listeners urged a more rigorous follow-up.