The satirical news publication The Onion won the bid for Alex Jones’ Infowars at a bankruptcy auction, backed by families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims who are owed over $1 billion in defamation judgments. The purchase would transfer Jones’ company, known for peddling conspiracy theories and misinformation, to a humor website planning to relaunch Infowars as a parody in January. However, concerns were raised about the auction process, leading to a court hearing the following week. Infowars’ website, social media accounts, studio in Austin, trademarks, video archive, and other assets were up for sale.
Robbie Parker, a parent of one of the Sandy Hook victims, expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the auction, calling it justice long awaited and fought for. The Onion, founded in the 1980s, is known for its satirical take on politics and pop culture, with Alex Jones being a frequent target. Following the auction, Jones was angry and defiant, labeling it as an attack on free speech and shutting down his show only to resume broadcasting from a new location. The trustee who oversaw the auction defended The Onion’s bid, citing the agreement with Sandy Hook families to forgo some proceeds to pay off Jones’ creditors.
During a court hearing in Houston, concerns were raised about the auction process, with accusations of lack of transparency and fairness. The trustee acknowledged that The Onion did not have the highest bid but was chosen due to the overall deal being considered better. Jones expressed optimism that the judge would nullify the sale, claiming the auction was unfairly rigged. The Onion’s parent company, Global Tentahedron, expressed plans to relaunch the Infowars website in January with satire targeting conspiracy theorists and right-wing personalities, along with educational content on gun violence prevention.
Sandy Hook families sued Jones for his claims that the shooting was a hoax, causing trauma to the victims’ families. Jones has since acknowledged that the shooting was real. The Onion, headquartered in Chicago, describes itself as a leading news publication, with recent headlines including satirical pieces on Trump, laws requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in every womb, and struggles in differentiating meteoroids and meteorites. The auction did not include Jones’ personal X account with over 3 million followers, but the bankruptcy judge is considering the sale of his personal accounts at the trustee’s request.
