The Onion has reached an agreement to take control of Infowars, the controversial media outlet founded by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, pending approval from a Texas judge. If the court signs off, the deal would remove Jones’s control over the Infowars platform and allow The Onion to relaunch the site as a self-satirizing outlet that ridicules the kind of conspiracy rhetoric Jones promoted and pushes advocacy for gun safety.
Families of several victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, who successfully sued Jones for defamation, backed the transfer. They continue to pursue nearly $1.3 billion in judgments awarded after Jones repeatedly claimed the shooting was staged — false assertions that produced years of harassment and threats against the families. The plaintiffs have said removing Jones from his platform is necessary to prevent further harm.
Attorneys for the families and The Onion described the plan as turning a notorious source of misinformation into something that can do social good. Chris Mattei, counsel for the families, said the change would repurpose “the machinery of lies” Jones built into a force for positive ends through the families’ persistence and The Onion’s stewardship. The Onion called the arrangement a major step toward converting the site into “a new comedy network for satire,” and indicated it could roll out the revamped Infowars within weeks of judicial approval.
Ben Collins, The Onion’s CEO, framed the move as delivering a measure of accountability and a chance to remake a troubled piece of media history. The company also published a tongue-in-cheek statement from a fictional parent-company CEO, “Bryce P. Tetraeder,” underscoring the outlet’s satirical approach to taking over the brand.
Jones has vowed to fight the transfer in court, accusing The Onion of trying to misappropriate his name and image and threatening lawsuits. He urged his supporters to back his resistance and began selling limited-edition merchandise, warning that even if he loses Infowars.com he could continue broadcasting under a different banner. His lawyers did not provide comment to news outlets.
The path to this deal has been legally complicated. A federal bankruptcy judge rejected an earlier attempt by The Onion to acquire Infowars at auction more than a year ago, finding flaws in that process. Because Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems, itself is not in bankruptcy, a Texas state receiver was later appointed to manage the company’s assets. That receivership opened the door to a licensing arrangement, initially structured as a lease with a possible later sale.
Court filings from the receiver said licensing Infowars’ intellectual property served the receivership estate’s interests. Under the agreement, The Onion would pay $81,000 a month to license the Infowars.com domain and brand; the receiver said that revenue would cover carrying costs to preserve the estate while Jones’s appeals and other legal issues continue.
Separately, Jones’s personal bankruptcy case is proceeding in federal court. A trustee is liquidating his personal assets — including vehicles, homes, watches and firearms — with the proceeds intended to go toward satisfying the Sandy Hook families’ judgments.