The Onion’s Winning Bid for Alex Jones’ Infowars Platform Under Review
Why was Infowars up for auction?
Alex Jones, the founder of Infowars, declared personal bankruptcy in late 2022 after he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion to families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut who sued him for defamation for repeatedly calling the massacre a hoax aimed at increasing gun control. As part of the bankruptcy, Jones’ personal assets and Infowars’ parent company, the Jones-owned Free Speech Systems, were to be sold at auction, with the Sandy Hook families and Jones’ other creditors getting the proceeds.
How The Onion was named the winning bidder
The bankruptcy trustee overseeing the sale chose from sealed bids. He received two. One was from the Jones-affiliated First United American Companies, which offered $3.5 million, while the other, from The Onion, was lower but contained an incentive by some of the Sandy Hook families to forgo a portion of the sale proceeds and give it to other Jones’ creditors. The trustee, Christopher Murray, determined that The Onion’s offer, although unusual, was better overall, as it would provide more money to Jones’ creditors than the other bid.
Infowars reopens after shutting down
Murray had Infowars’ website and studio shut down on Thursday as he began the process of securing assets. However, on Friday, Infowars and its websites were back up and running. On his show, Jones told listeners that Murray had told him it was wrong to shut down Infowars before the sale was finalized.
What’s next in court?
The judge has concerns about the auction process and transparency. Both sides are expected to present evidence at next week’s hearing. Jones and a lawyer for First United American Companies allege Murray improperly selected The Onion’s bid and unexpectedly changed the sale process Monday after the sealed bids were submitted. Murray denied doing anything improper and said he followed the judge’s auction rules.
What are The Onion’s plans for Infowars?
The Onion hopes to reopen the Infowars website in January as a parody of Jones and other conspiracy theorists. "Our goal in a couple of years is for people to think of Infowars as the funniest and dumbest website that exists," said Ben Collins, the Onion’s CEO. "It was previously the dumbest website that exists."
Conclusion
The future of Infowars is uncertain as the bankruptcy judge reviews the auction process and the winning bid from The Onion. If the judge rules in favor of The Onion, the satirical news outlet may be able to reopen the Infowars website and studio, but it’s unclear what changes they will make to the content.
FAQs
Q: Why was Infowars up for auction?
A: Infowars was up for auction as part of Alex Jones’ personal bankruptcy, which was a result of his being ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion to families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Q: Who was the winning bidder in the auction?
A: The Onion was the winning bidder in the auction, but the sale is under review by a federal bankruptcy judge.
Q: What are The Onion’s plans for Infowars?
A: The Onion hopes to reopen the Infowars website in January as a parody of Jones and other conspiracy theorists.
Q: Why did Infowars shut down temporarily?
A: Infowars shut down temporarily as part of the bankruptcy process, but it has since reopened.
