Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones revealed a dramatic 70% decline in Infowars sales, resulting in nearly half a million dollars in losses, just days after the satirical publication The Onion announced it had acquired his platform’s assets and intellectual property. Jones called the move a “malicious” attack intended to destroy his brand.
Speaking on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast Tuesday, Jones detailed the financial impact of the fake announcement. “So, crippling 70% drop in Infowars store, crippling 56% drop in [TheAlexJonesStore.com] because I wasn’t even thinking about money and didn’t realize their hoax that they owned Infowars, people think of that as me,” Jones said. “Major damage to the brand’s ability to even sell products…we’re talking right now $418,000 has been lost from the current trend line since last Thursday when they made this announcement.
Crippling. So, listeners need to know, I don’t want to come out here and beg.” The losses come as Jones faces a $1.5 billion judgment awarded to families of victims from the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, which Jones infamously claimed was staged using child actors. To pay off his debts, Jones has been forced to liquidate assets and rely on sales from his online stores, which sell items like t-shirts, books, and dietary supplements, told The Washington Post.
Jones admitted he had not been closely monitoring his finances in the days following The Onion’s satirical claim. “I was so busy Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday I didn’t look at the numbers,” Jones explained. “Well today I said, ‘Hey let me check the numbers,’ that’s how little we’re worried about money. I figured we’d have a bunch of extra money come in for support.”
Jones attributed the steep decline in sales to audience confusion over the satirical announcement. “People are confused, and so they’re told I’m over, I’m done. No, we’re here,” he asserted. He added that AlexJones.com remains his “rebel base” for fans who wish to donate or support his efforts. As Jones faces mounting legal and financial challenges, the latest blow highlights the precarious state of his operation and the potential consequences of satire in reshaping public perception.