Patrick Michael Byrne (born November 29, 1962) is an American businessman, entrepreneur, and libertarian thinker who founded Overstock.com in 1999 after leading smaller companies, serving as its CEO until his resignation in 2020 amid controversies related to his public statements on the 2020 U.S. presidential election. He has advocated for reforms in public education and blockchain technology. Byrne earned a BA in Asian Studies and Philosophy from Dartmouth College, an MA in Philosophy from the University of Cambridge as a Marshall Scholar, and a PhD in Philosophy from Stanford University in 1996, focusing on political theory, jurisprudence, and economics. He gained significant attention for promoting conspiracy theories, particularly alleging widespread election fraud in 2020, positioning himself as an 'election investigator.' Byrne has financially supported One America News Network and used his platform, including his website patrickbyrne.com and Deep Capture blog, to disseminate views on various topics. His tenure at Overstock ended controversially, with the company rebranding to Beyond, Inc.