### The Onion's Winning Bid for Infowars Faces Controversy from Alex Jones

In a surprising turn of events, satire news outlet The Onion secured the winning bid to purchase Alex Jones' Infowars. However, controversy has erupted as Infowars continues operations and insists the sale has been obstructed. Onion CEO Ben Collins refuted these claims on social media platforms Bluesky and X, asserting, "We left the hearing with clear next steps to complete the sale."

Amidst the chaos, a judge scheduled an evidentiary hearing for Monday next week, signaling the final procedural steps. Infowars has asked for permission to continue publishing until the sale process is finalized. Collins highlighted that the sale has not been officially hindered, except for pushback from the current Infowars operators who, according to him, are “doing InfoWars stuff."

The auction's conclusion saw The Onion and the Connecticut Sandy Hook families emerge victorious. Despite allegations from Alex Jones labeling the auction as "rigged," Collins reaffirmed the legitimacy of their win and noted that Elon Musk's attorneys attended the hearing, adding more intrigue to the situation.

In a bid of $3.5 million, The Onion edged out its sole competitor, First United American Companies, which is tied to a website that sells Jones' supplements. The exact amount of The Onion’s winning bid remains undisclosed, but the involvement of the Sandy Hook families—who have opted to waive their potential recoveries for the benefit of Jones' other unsecured creditors—adds a significant dimension to the outcome.

Collins, who formerly reported on disinformation and online extremism for NBC News, emphasized that transparency was prioritized during the bidding process. He reiterated that their collective bid with the Sandy Hook families is exceptional, and they look forward to more clarity as the legal processes unfold.

Looking ahead, Collins envisions transforming Infowars into what he humorously described as the "dumbest website on the internet." In a symbolic move, the nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety is slated to be the exclusive advertiser at the site's relaunch.

While challenges remain, Collins remains optimistic about the eventual transition. "Buying this site was always going to be fun later on, but annoying right away," he noted. The Onion appears ready to face these challenges head-on, promising a new chapter for Infowars.