Satirical news outlet The Onion announced it has acquired Alex Jones’ Infowars at auction. Known for its satirical take on current events, The Onion reportedly bought the platform after Jones was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in damages to families of the Sandy Hook massacre victims, whom he had defamed by calling the 2012 shooting a hoax. This auction sale was part of Jones’ asset liquidation plan to cover his court-mandated liabilities.
The Onion intends to rebrand Infowars as a humor-based platform. According to The Onion’s parent company CEO, Ben Collins, the revamped site will launch in January, taking a satirical approach to mock “internet personalities” like Jones, ultimately creating a “parody of itself.” The platform’s new content aims to replace Jones’ conspiracy-driven supplements ads with humorous but pointed content, and Everytown for Gun Safety has partnered for a multi-year ad campaign on the revamped site, which aligns with their goal of promoting education on gun violence.
After news of the acquisition, Jones voiced his frustration in a live stream, claiming that Democrats were set to “shut Infowars down.”