In a surprising turn of events, The Onion, the iconic satirical news website, has won the bid for Alex Jones’ controversial platform, Infowars, during a bankruptcy auction held on November 13. The Onion announced the acquisition on November 14, promising to transform the notorious conspiracy site into a hub for satirical content. The sale marks a dramatic shift for Infowars, which has long been associated with far-right disinformation and conspiracy theories.
The Bankruptcy Auction: How The Onion Won the Bid
The auction was part of a bankruptcy settlement following Alex Jones’ legal battles, where he was ordered to pay over $1.5 billion to the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims. Courts in Connecticut and Texas ruled that Jones had intentionally defamed the families by spreading false claims that the 2012 massacre was a hoax. The hefty judgment forced Jones to liquidate assets, including Infowars, to cover his debts.
The Onion, known for its sharp satire and comedic takes on current events, outbid other contenders to take control of Infowars. According to reports, a sealed bidding process was conducted, and The Onion’s offer was backed by the Sandy Hook families, who were eager to see Jones’ disinformation platform transformed or taken down entirely. The bid was ultimately selected not because it was the highest offer, but because it aligned with the goal of mitigating further harm caused by the site.
Bankruptcy trustee Christopher Murray, responsible for overseeing the liquidation, emphasized that while The Onion’s bid was financially lower than a competing $3.5 million bid from First United American Companies, it was deemed the best overall deal. This was largely due to the Sandy Hook families’ willingness to forego a portion of the sale proceeds in exchange for effectively silencing Infowars’ harmful content.
“I’ve never seen this before in any other case,” Murray noted. “But my goal was to maximize recovery for unsecured creditors, and under The Onion’s bid, they’re clearly better off.”
The Onion’s Bold Plans for Infowars
Following the acquisition, The Onion announced plans to shut down Infowars as it currently exists. In its place, the satirical site intends to launch a new platform featuring humor writers and content creators, with a focus on lampooning right-wing extremism and misinformation. Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion, shared that the new iteration of Infowars would be “a very funny, very stupid website,” with contributions from some of the best satirical writers from The Onion and its sister site, Clickhole.
In a statement posted on BlueSky, Collins said:
“We’re planning on making it a comedic site that mocks the ridiculousness of conspiracy theories. We’ve already got some of The Onion and Clickhole’s Hall of Famers on board. I can’t wait to show everyone what we’ve cooked up.”
The Onion’s parent company, Global Tetrahedron, has not disclosed the exact purchase price of Infowars. However, the acquisition was a collaborative effort supported by the Sandy Hook families, who prioritized the platform’s shutdown over financial compensation. This strategic move aims to prevent other right-wing figures from using Infowars to perpetuate further disinformation.
Alex Jones’ Reaction to the Sale
Unsurprisingly, Alex Jones was not pleased with the outcome. In a video posted to social media, he lashed out at the auction process, calling it “fake” and “rigged.” Jones claimed that the entire sale was orchestrated to silence him, insisting that his company had been hijacked without due process.
“This was an auction that didn’t happen, with a bid that was lower, with money that wasn’t real,” Jones argued in his video rant.
Jones, who has built a career on promoting conspiracy theories and disinformation, vowed to continue his work on other platforms, despite the shutdown of Infowars. He claimed that the legal and financial challenges he faces are politically motivated attacks aimed at silencing his voice.
Legal Uncertainties and Next Steps
While The Onion’s acquisition of Infowars seems like a done deal, it may still face legal hurdles. At a hearing in Houston, Judge Christopher Lopez expressed concerns over the transparency of the auction process and scheduled an evidentiary hearing to investigate further.
“We’re all going to an evidentiary hearing, and I’m going to figure out exactly what happened,” Judge Lopez said. “No one should feel comfortable with the results of this auction.”
The hearing is expected to address complaints from other bidders, particularly First United American Companies, which argued that the auction’s shift to a silent bidding format was unfair. Until the hearing concludes, the future of Infowars under The Onion’s ownership remains uncertain.
If The Onion’s acquisition is approved, the satirical outlet plans to replace Infowars’ content with comedic and educational pieces aimed at debunking misinformation. The new site may even partner with organizations like Everytown for Gun Safety to publish studies and satire on gun violence prevention, a significant pivot from Infowars’ previous agenda.
For the families of Sandy Hook victims, this acquisition symbolizes a victory in their ongoing battle against Alex Jones’ harmful narratives. As The Onion takes the reins, it marks a new chapter in the fight against disinformation—one where humor and satire could play a pivotal role in countering falsehoods.