The Onion says it is taking over Alex Jones’ Infowars operation in Austin, grabbing the studio, website, and other assets with plans to reboot the whole thing with comedian Tim Heidecker in a creative role. The handoff comes after nearly two years of courtroom brawling, following massive defamation judgments won by families of Sandy Hook victims and court orders to liquidate Jones’ assets. The shift is unfolding through a court-supervised process and still needs formal approvals in Texas before it is locked in.
Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion’s parent company Global Tetrahedron, told journalist Pablo Torre that “we have taken over the Infowars studio and the IP and the website and all of that stuff” and said the transition should be finalized “within a couple of days,” as reported by KUT. Collins said The Onion intends to share profits with Sandy Hook victims and to rebrand and reshuffle the operation instead of simply turning off the lights. According to KUT, Jones had already teased the possible acquisition on a recent podcast.
Deal details and court review
As reported by TheWrap, a court-appointed administrator has asked a Texas judge to sign off on a licensing deal that would let Global Tetrahedron run the Infowars assets in exchange for monthly payments. TheWrap reports that the proposal calls for $81,000 a month over an initial six-month term and names Tim Heidecker as a creative director for the relaunch.
The Guardian notes that the arrangement would still need approval from a Texas judge who previously raised concerns about the auction process that produced The Onion’s earlier winning bid, a ruling that sent the sale back into the courts for another look.
Legal backdrop
The push to move Infowars into new hands is tied to defamation judgments totaling roughly $1.4 to $1.5 billion, and judges have ordered assets sold off to help cover those awards, according to AP News. Jones and his affiliates have repeatedly fought the sale efforts and tried to block some transfers in court. A federal judge in late 2024 criticized the auction process and told the trustee to reopen bidding after finding procedural problems, and the trustee has since been selling off property tied to Free Speech Systems while the legal wrangling continues.
What happens next in Austin
On the ground in Austin, the assets under the receiver’s control include the South Austin studio and the production gear used to pump out Infowars programming, according to KUT. A judge’s decision on the current licensing motion is expected within weeks and, as TheWrap reports, could either clear the way for The Onion’s satirical relaunch or send the trustee back to the auction block yet again.
For now, Jones is still broadcasting on alternative platforms while the courts decide whether, and in what form, the Infowars brand will be repurposed in its new Austin era.
