satirical news source The media group Infowars, led by right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, was acquired by The Onion at a court-ordered auction for an unknown sum.
The Onion reported that the proposal was secured with the help of families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, who won a $1.5bn (£1.18bn) defamation action against Jones for spreading false allegations about the massacre.
Numerous organizations, including Jones’s supporters and critics, had indicated they would place bids for the business when a Texas judge ordered the auction in September.
In 1999, Jones established Infowars. He has promised to use a separate platform to continue broadcasting.
Jones described the takeover as a “total attack on free speech” in a lengthy video statement that was uploaded on Thursday morning.
