Ben Collins

Back in January, I was reading Adweek. I was writing a very – I don't know if the book was bad, but the process of writing the book was miserable. It was writing about Nazis on the internet and stuff. You know those people.

Back in January, I was reading Adweek. I was writing a very – I don't know if the book was bad, but the process of writing the book was miserable. It was writing about Nazis on the internet and stuff. You know those people.

Back in January, I was reading Adweek. I was writing a very – I don't know if the book was bad, but the process of writing the book was miserable. It was writing about Nazis on the internet and stuff. You know those people.

I'm sick of those people, terrible. So I was reading Adweek and I saw that The Onion was for sale. And this was around the time where things were just shuttering. Sports Illustrated and Jezebel just shuttered. And I was from the same company, Gio owned Jezebel. Or things were being turned into like AI slop farms or Elon Musk was buying it, worst case scenario. I had posted on Blue Sky.

I'm sick of those people, terrible. So I was reading Adweek and I saw that The Onion was for sale. And this was around the time where things were just shuttering. Sports Illustrated and Jezebel just shuttered. And I was from the same company, Gio owned Jezebel. Or things were being turned into like AI slop farms or Elon Musk was buying it, worst case scenario. I had posted on Blue Sky.

I'm sick of those people, terrible. So I was reading Adweek and I saw that The Onion was for sale. And this was around the time where things were just shuttering. Sports Illustrated and Jezebel just shuttered. And I was from the same company, Gio owned Jezebel. Or things were being turned into like AI slop farms or Elon Musk was buying it, worst case scenario. I had posted on Blue Sky.

I said, the onion's for sale. You know, who wants to help me buy this thing? I have $600. Lila Brilson, who's in Chicago, where the onion is based, emailed me and she was like, but seriously, how do we do this? Like, it's an institution. We can't let this thing die. It's like important to keep this thing alive. And I was like, let me just make some phone calls.

I said, the onion's for sale. You know, who wants to help me buy this thing? I have $600. Lila Brilson, who's in Chicago, where the onion is based, emailed me and she was like, but seriously, how do we do this? Like, it's an institution. We can't let this thing die. It's like important to keep this thing alive. And I was like, let me just make some phone calls.

I said, the onion's for sale. You know, who wants to help me buy this thing? I have $600. Lila Brilson, who's in Chicago, where the onion is based, emailed me and she was like, but seriously, how do we do this? Like, it's an institution. We can't let this thing die. It's like important to keep this thing alive. And I was like, let me just make some phone calls.

So the first person I called was Danielle. She ran product Tumblr. when that turned all of our children weird in America.

So the first person I called was Danielle. She ran product Tumblr. when that turned all of our children weird in America.

So the first person I called was Danielle. She ran product Tumblr. when that turned all of our children weird in America.

In the best way. Oh, not like J.D. Vance weird. Like, you know, David Bowie weird.

In the best way. Oh, not like J.D. Vance weird. Like, you know, David Bowie weird.

In the best way. Oh, not like J.D. Vance weird. Like, you know, David Bowie weird.

Yeah, exactly. And I was like, I think this is a special thing that we can go and go out and get. So we spent the next few weeks just calling everybody we knew. And we're like, does this guy know a rich guy? Like, you know, how do we do this exactly? How does this actually take place?

Yeah, exactly. And I was like, I think this is a special thing that we can go and go out and get. So we spent the next few weeks just calling everybody we knew. And we're like, does this guy know a rich guy? Like, you know, how do we do this exactly? How does this actually take place?

Yeah, exactly. And I was like, I think this is a special thing that we can go and go out and get. So we spent the next few weeks just calling everybody we knew. And we're like, does this guy know a rich guy? Like, you know, how do we do this exactly? How does this actually take place?

Yeah. Daniel can talk about this. The very first people we called at all was the Onion Union because we had heard there was this whisper network that the union was this onerous and scary thing and all this stuff. And all they were really asking for, they were in negotiations, was to make sure that any content that was AI was labeled as such. That was really their big ask.

Yeah. Daniel can talk about this. The very first people we called at all was the Onion Union because we had heard there was this whisper network that the union was this onerous and scary thing and all this stuff. And all they were really asking for, they were in negotiations, was to make sure that any content that was AI was labeled as such. That was really their big ask.