Alex Jones’ conspiracy theory empire Infowars will be sold for parts to help pay Sandy Hook families
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CNN
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Interested in owning Alex Jones' conspiracy theory empire, Infowars? Its parent company, Free Speech Systems, is now officially up for sale following the approval of a Texas bankruptcy judge on Tuesday.
Everything from the Infowars.com domain, to its social media accounts, subscriber list, and even production equipment and studio set will be auctioned off piece by piece to the highest bidder on November 13, according to the auction house handling the bidding.
The proceeds of the sale, which could fetch millions of dollars, will be used to chip away at the nearly $1.5 billion Jones owes the families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. Jones went into personal bankruptcy after he was ordered to pay the massive sum for pushing false conspiracy theories about the 2012 massacre that left 26 people dead.
As the sole owner of Free Speech Systems, the company became part of Jones' personal liquidation and was placed under the control of a court-appointed trustee, who is now arranging the sale.
Right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones arrives at the federal courthouse for a hearing in front of a bankruptcy judge Friday, June 14, 2024, in Houston. The judge is expected to rule on whether to liquidate Jones' assets to help pay the $1.5 billion he owes for his false claims that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
David J. Phillip/AP
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Anyone can place a bid for Infowars, including its dubious dietary supplement store, and use the property for any reason.
"This transparent sale process will allow any party to participate and purchase the assets regardless of intended asset usage, provided only that the parties comply with the terms of sale and meet the qualification requirements, including provision of proof of financial capacity to close," the company handling the sale, ThreeSixty Asset Advisors wrote on the site advertising the sale.
Christopher Mattei, an attorney representing some of the Sandy Hook families in Connecticut, said the judge's decision is a "significant step forward" for a "fair and equitable distribution of Free Speech System's assets for all of the families."
Free Speech Systems "will now be sold at auction, meaning Alex Jones will no longer own or control the company he built. This brings the families closer to their goal of holding him accountable for the harm he has caused," Mattei said in a statement.
Jones has suggested that one of his allies could buy Infowars. Nothing would prevent him from continuing to broadcast under a new owner, although he would still need to pay off the debt he owes the Sandy Hook families with any earnings he may receive.
There's also nothing stopping Jones from continuing to speak about the Sandy Hook massacre or the families. (Jones now acknowledges the massacre took place, but claims he is being targeted and "framed" by the government). The only way Jones would be prevented from speaking about Sandy Hook entirely is through a separate settlement with the families.
The logo of the The Federal Bureau of Investigation, (FBI) building is seen May 14, 2023 in Washington DC. Photo by Ken Cedeno/Sipa USA(Sipa via AP Images)
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"There's buyers out there that are patriots that I work with," Jones said on his Friday show, without detailing who that may be.
But that also means that another wealthy buyer could choose to bid, and take control of the Infowars platform for other uses including preventing it from being used to continue to spread dangerous lies and conspiracy theories.
The court-appointed trustee also signaled during the court hearing on Tuesday that he planned to liquidate Jones' other intellectual property, including his account on the social media platform X that has 2.8 million followers.
But even if all of Jones' personal intellectual property is sold off along with Infowars, it's unlikely to make more than a small dent in the amount he owes the Sandy Hook families.
In the meantime, the conspiracy theorist has vowed to continue broadcasting until Infowars is sold. On Friday, Jones encouraged followers to buy his merchandise, claiming, "I am literally on empty myself."
