The satirical site The Onion has reached a new deal to take over Infowars, the far-right media company run by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, pending approval by a Texas judge. If approved, the arrangement would strip Jones of his Infowars platform and allow The Onion to relaunch the site as a parody and satire-driven network, potentially advocating for gun control.
Families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, who won nearly $1.3 billion in defamation judgments against Jones for falsely claiming the deaths were staged, support the sale. The families pursued the litigation after being harassed and threatened by Jones’ followers and hope the change will both produce payments and prevent further harm. “When Infowars finally goes dark, the machinery of lies that Jones built will become a force for social good, thanks to the families’ courage and The Onion’s vision, persistence and stewardship,” said Chris Mattei, an attorney for the families.
Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion, called the agreement “a significant step in an effort to transform one of the internet’s more notorious misinformation platforms into a new comedy network for satire,” and said the organization could announce its rollout of Infowars in weeks if the judge signs off. The Onion posted a satirical message on its site from a fictional parent-company CEO, Bryce P. Tetraeder, celebrating the acquisition.
Jones has vowed to challenge the deal, accusing The Onion of seeking to “steal and misrepresent” his identity and threatening lawsuits. He urged supporters to buy newly released Infowars merchandise before the site’s potential transfer. Even if he loses control of Infowars, Jones could continue broadcasting under a different name or platform. His attorneys did not respond to requests for comment.
A federal bankruptcy judge last year rejected The Onion’s initial attempt to buy Infowars through a bankruptcy auction, finding the process flawed. Because Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems, is not in federal bankruptcy, the property is being handled by a Texas state receiver, who determined that licensing the intellectual property best serves the receivership estate. Under the current deal, The Onion would pay $81,000 a month to license the Infowars.com domain and brand, funds the receiver says will cover carrying costs while appeals proceed and a future sale is contemplated.
Separately, Jones’ personal bankruptcy case continues in federal court, where a trustee is selling personal assets — including homes, vehicles, watches and guns — with proceeds intended for the Sandy Hook families.