The Onion Buys Infowars At Auction With Sandy Hook Families’ Support

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In a surprising twist, The Onion, a satirical news outlet, was declared the winner in the bankruptcy auction for Alex Jones' Infowars on Thursday. The purchase is backed by the families of victims from the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, who have long fought against Jones for his false claims that the 2012 massacre was a hoax. These families are among those who Jones owes over $1 billion in defamation judgments.

Under The Onion's ownership, Infowars—long known for spreading conspiracy theories—will be relaunched as a parody site in January. However, the auction has raised some concerns. The judge overseeing Jones' bankruptcy case expressed doubts about the process and scheduled a hearing for next week, following complaints from Jones' legal team and a company connected to him, which had bid $3.5 million.

Shortly after the announcement, Infowars' website went offline, and Jones began broadcasting from a new studio. The sale included the Infowars website, social media accounts, trademarks, video archives, and the Austin, Texas studio.

Robbie Parker, a father of a Sandy Hook victim, hailed the sale, saying, “The dissolution of Alex Jones' assets and the death of Infowars is the justice we have long awaited and fought for.”

Founded in the 1980s, The Onion has gained a reputation for its sharp political and cultural satire, often mocking public figures like Jones. The satirical publication has frequently lampooned mass shootings, including the Sandy Hook tragedy, with headlines such as, "'No Way to Prevent This,' Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens."

On his broadcast, Jones was vocal in his displeasure with the auction, calling it a “total attack on free speech.” He later shut down his show, only to resume it from a new nearby studio.

At the court hearing, Christopher Murray, the trustee overseeing the auction, explained that although The Onion didn’t submit the highest bid, it was the most favorable option because some Sandy Hook families had agreed to waive a portion of the proceeds to help pay Jones' creditors. A business connected to Jones, First United American Companies, placed the only other bid. However, Murray could not disclose the amount of The Onion’s bid.

An attorney for First United American Companies raised concerns that the auction process was altered shortly before it took place, suggesting that a competitive bidding round was skipped. The judge, Christopher Lopez, voiced surprise and concern about the lack of transparency and ordered an evidentiary hearing.

Jones expressed his belief that the auction had been rigged and vowed that his supporters would continue fighting to keep Infowars alive. He also set up new studio facilities and online platforms, just in case the auction was finalized.

Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion’s parent company, Global Tetrahedron, told the Associated Press that they plan to relaunch the Infowars site with satirical content targeting conspiracy theorists and right-wing figures. Additionally, they intend to include educational material about gun violence prevention from the group Everytown for Gun Safety. Collins called it “probably one of the better jokes we’ve ever told,” adding that the Sandy Hook families supported the bid to ensure that Jones' harmful influence would be stopped.

Although Jones’ personal X account with millions of followers was not part of the auction, the bankruptcy judge is still deciding whether it and other accounts can be sold.

Jones has been embroiled in multiple lawsuits filed by Sandy Hook families, who suffered emotional and physical harm due to his claims that the shooting was staged. Despite initially denying the tragedy, Jones has since admitted that the attack was “100% real.”

The Onion, known for its sharp and often absurd humor, has recently featured headlines like “Trump Boys Have Slap Fight Over Who Gets To Run Foreign Policy Meetings” and “Oklahoma Law Requires Ten Commandments To Be Displayed In Every Womb.”