The satirical powerhouse The Onion has officially taken over Alex Jones’ Infowars in a surprising bankruptcy auction, effectively purchasing the very conspiracy factory it frequently lampooned. Infowars, the far-right media hub that gave Jones a platform to spread his colorful conspiracy theories, will soon have a new look — one featuring prominent internet humorists and content creators in place of Jones’ apocalyptic ramblings.
Jones broke the news himself Thursday morning on X (formerly Twitter). “I just got word 15 minutes ago,” Jones said, his tone somewhere between defiance and disbelief. He mentioned that his lawyers met with the U.S. trustee, and without much ceremony, Infowars was “shut down even without a court order.” He went on, adding, “The Connecticut democrats with The Onion newspaper bought us.” Subtle as always.
The Onion reportedly plans to overhaul the Infowars site, replacing Jones’ catalog of conspiracy with a revamped platform spearheaded by well-known internet humor writers. This acquisition marks a poetic turn for The Onion, which has poked fun at Jones for years. Now, it has the last laugh by gaining control of his media empire.
Infowars and its parent company, Free Speech Systems, were auctioned off as part of Jones’ bankruptcy process, and details of the auction, including the final price, have yet to surface. Proceeds from the sale will go towards Jones’ estate creditors — primarily the families of the victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, to whom Jones owes an astronomical $1.5 billion in defamation damages. These damages were awarded after Jones repeatedly and falsely claimed that the tragic school shooting was a staged hoax. Though awarded the compensation, the families have faced a long battle collecting any payment, as Jones insisted he couldn’t afford to cover the damages, eventually filing for bankruptcy in 2022.
The Sandy Hook families were notably supportive of The Onion’s successful bid. Chris Mattei, attorney for the Connecticut families, underscored that this sale was about more than money. “Our clients knew that true accountability meant an end to Infowars and an end to Jones’ ability to spread lies, pain, and fear at scale,” Mattei said in a statement. He emphasized that the purchase was a public service, one that ensures Jones is stripped of his primary megaphone.
Adding a twist to the rebranding of Infowars, the anti-violence advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety has announced that it will be the exclusive advertiser on The Onion’s newly acquired platform. John Feinblatt, president of Everytown, expressed hopes of connecting with new audiences “ready to hold the gun industry accountable for contributing to our nation’s gun violence epidemic.”
For a figure who thrived on chaos and headlines, this might be the quietest Alex Jones has ever been forced to be. As for The Onion, it’s now poised to turn a notorious platform of disinformation into one that might just help people smile—and maybe even think a bit more critically along the way.
