The Onion has won the bid for Infowars' assets

Satirical news site The Onion has acquired the controversial Infowars, previously owned by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, as part of a defamation settlement linked to false claims about the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. The Onion's acquisition was supported by the families of eight victims and a first responder from the tragedy. They also secured an exclusive advertising partnership with a gun control advocacy group. 

Alex Jones was ordered to pay $1.5 billion to the families of the Sandy Hook victims, but delayed payments while reportedly maintaining significant monthly expenditures. Infowars' assets, including studio equipment, merchandise store, social media accounts, an armored truck, and a motorhome, were auctioned off, although the winning bid amount was not disclosed.

Infowars was notorious for disseminating misleading and harmful conspiracy theories, from which Jones profited. The Onion expressed both humor and intent to continue Infowars' business model under new management. The Sandy Hook families adjusted their monetary recovery to ensure the success of The Onion’s bid, prioritizing broader justice over financial compensation.

The false claims by Jones following the 2012 shooting, which resulted in the deaths of 20 children and six adults, led to harassment of victims' families, exacerbating their grief. Robbie Parker, whose daughter was among the victims, emphasized the significance of holding platforms accountable for spreading misinformation.

Everything owned by Infowars was auctioned to contribute towards settling the defamation debts. Attempts by Jones' allies to retain Infowars for his use were unsuccessful. Despite this, Jones vowed to continue his broadcasts on alternative platforms.

The Onion intends for Infowars to transition to their new content by January 2025.