It sounds like a headline The Onion would have written about itself ten years ago. A satirical news site buying the world's most infamous conspiracy theory machine. But in late 2024, the surreal became reality—or at least, it tried to. If you’re looking for a simple receipt, you might be disappointed. This wasn't a trip to the grocery store.
The question of how much did The Onion buy Infowars for is actually a bit of a trick. There isn't just one number because the "price" was a cocktail of cash, legal maneuvers, and a very specific type of spite.
The Number That Shook the Internet
So, let's talk turkey. During the bankruptcy auction in November 2024, The Onion (operating under its parent company Global Tetrahedron) put down a cash bid of $1.75 million.
Wait. That’s it?
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For a brand that once claimed to reach millions and sold enough supplements to fund a private armored lifestyle, $1.75 million seems low. It is. In fact, it wasn't even the highest cash offer on the table. A company called First United American Companies—which is closely tied to Alex Jones and his supplement business—actually bid **$3.5 million**.
You're probably wondering how the guy with half the money won the auction.
It comes down to "incentives." The bid from The Onion wasn't just about the cash they pulled from their own pockets. They had backup. Specifically, they had the backing of the Sandy Hook families who are owed over $1 billion by Jones. These families agreed to "forgo" a portion of their potential recovery from the sale to ensure other smaller creditors got paid more.
By doing this, the bankruptcy trustee valued The Onion’s total bid at roughly $7 million. In the eyes of the person running the sale, $7 million in "value" beats $3.5 million in raw cash every time.
Why a Judge Put the Brakes On
Nothing with Alex Jones is ever simple. You've probably seen the headlines flipping back and forth. One day The Onion owns it, the next day they don't.
Shortly after the auction, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez stepped in. He wasn't thrilled. He didn't necessarily see "collusion," but he did see a process that felt a little... weird.
"No one should feel comfortable with the results of this auction," Lopez remarked during a hearing.
The judge’s main gripe was transparency. He felt the trustee "left money on the table" by not holding a round of open, competitive bidding where the two parties could out-duel each other. Instead, the trustee just picked the "best" deal and shut it down.
Because of this, the sale was technically halted in December 2024. As of early 2025, the legal tug-of-war is still very much a thing. Jones is still broadcasting (often from a different studio or through different channels), and The Onion is still waiting to turn the keys in the lock.
What Was Actually in the Shopping Cart?
When we ask how much did The Onion buy Infowars for, we also have to look at what they were actually trying to get. This wasn't just a domain name. The purchase included:
- The entire Infowars video archive (years of rants).
- The studio equipment in Austin, Texas.
- The customer mailing lists (the "gold mine" for supplement sales).
- Social media accounts and trademarks.
The Onion’s CEO, Ben Collins, has been pretty vocal about the plan. They don't want to run a news site. They want to turn it into a parody of itself. They want to mock the very "conspiracy-industrial complex" that built the brand in the first place.
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Honestly, it's a bold business move. Usually, when you buy a company, you want to keep the customers. In this case, The Onion wants to buy the company specifically to annoy the customers.
The Current State of Play in 2026
Fast forward to where we are now. The court battles have been a marathon. Jones’s legal team has fought tooth and nail, claiming the auction was rigged to silence him. Meanwhile, the Sandy Hook families are just trying to see some semblance of justice, even if it comes in the form of a satire site taking over the "misinformation machine."
By January 2025, the Jones-affiliated group actually doubled their offer to over $7 million in cash to try and match the "perceived value" of The Onion's bid.
It’s a mess.
If you are following this for the business side, the lesson is clear: bankruptcy auctions aren't always about the highest check. They are about the "best interests of the estate." Sometimes, a lower cash offer with fewer legal headaches or better terms for creditors wins the day.
What This Means for the Future of Media
The Infowars sale represents a weird turning point. It's the first time we've seen a "legacy" internet brand essentially get weaponized against its founder via a bankruptcy court.
Whether The Onion eventually gets the keys or the higher cash bid from the Jones allies finally wins out, the brand is forever changed. The original Infowars, as a singular entity owned and operated by Alex Jones without oversight, is effectively dead. Even if he stays on the air, he’s doing it through shell companies and new platforms.
Next Steps for You:
- Check the Docket: If you're a legal nerd, you can follow the case updates via the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Look for the "Free Speech Systems" or "Alex Jones" filings.
- Verify the Site: Before clicking any "Infowars" links, check the footer. If it ever officially transitions to The Onion, the content will look very different—likely much shorter and with a lot more jokes about vitamins.
- Monitor Asset Sales: Keep an eye on secondary auctions. Even if the main brand is tied up, individual pieces of studio equipment often hit the public market during liquidations like this.
The saga of how much did The Onion buy Infowars for is a reminder that in the world of high-stakes bankruptcy, the price tag is only half the story. The rest is written in courtrooms by lawyers who charge way more than $1.75 million.