The Onion is kicking off its Infowars takeover by doing what Alex Jones couldn’t.
The satirical news website will send $100,000 to the families of victims in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, after Jones’ failure to follow through on a court order to pay them more than $1 billion for falsely branding the tragic 2012 shooting a hoax.
The money will come from sales of merchandise combining the Infowars and The Onion logos in rainbow colors, CEO Ben Collins told The Associated Press.
“Don’t give comedy writers a grudge for 18 months,” he said.
The Onion is debuting an Infowars parody on its own website, with plans to donate some of the revenue to Sandy Hook families. The spoof will include content that mocks Jones’ signature—and notorious—conspiracy theories linking major events, eyebrow-raising scientific claims, and attacks on people suffering tragedies, such as a debate on how many Bozo the Clowns there actually are.
Collins also teased that the parody site will sell supplements and survival gear, including a penis flattening device and a fake “pro oxygen” supplement that can replace breathing.
“It’s old-fashioned Infowars—using the tricks that they use to get people addicted to outrage and, I would say, addicted to anticipation, trying to find the thing that’s around the corner that’s going to save your life,” he said.
At its peak, Jones’ conspiracy empire had 10 million visitors a month and generated more than $50 million in annual revenues. But shortly after he was ordered to fork over an eye-watering sum, Jones declared bankruptcy.
The Onion moved to acquire Infowars in 2024, but a federal judge voided the sale. It’s launching the parody website anyway while the legal battle plays out.
“All he’s been left with is an iPhone and a fancy microphone,” Chris Mattei, an attorney for nine of the Sandy Hook families, told The Associated Press.
Though Jones has so far managed to avoid paying the judgment, the families believe they can expose him and ensure he never profits again, Mattei added.
“Every dime Alex Jones makes from here until the end of eternity is going to be claimed by the families,” he said.
Alex Jones Live did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Sandy Hook families were briefly skeptical of an Onion takeover, according to Collins, but later saw how the satirical site’s staff could bring the Infowars brand to the moral high ground while mocking the very people who caused them pain.
After 20 first graders and six adults were shot dead at the Connecticut school in 2012, Jones falsely called the incident a hoax. His ardent followers later began harassing victims’ families with death threats, claiming they were “crisis actors.”
Mattei said the Sandy Hook families originally wanted Infowars shut down forever. Now, however, they’re looking forward to seeing what The Onion can cook up.
“The idea that it could be turned to some social good. I think it’s even better,” he said. “So, yeah, I think the families are both pleased and amused with what they’ve been able to achieve here.”
