https://www.businessinsider.com/twilio-founder-jeff-lawson-bought-the-onion-2024-4

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Media

Twilio cofounder Jeff Lawson appears to have just bought The Onion

Katherine Long and Ashley Stewart
2024-04-25T19:38:41Z
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Twilio founder Jeff Lawson
[ ] An icon in the shape of an angle pointing down. Jeff Lawson,
Twilio cofounder and, probably, the new owner of The Onion. Steve
Jennings / Getty Images
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  * Satirical news website The Onion was sold to a company called
    Global Tetrahedron.
  * Global Tetrahedron is also the name of a fictional evil
    megacorporation in a long-running Onion gag.
  * But it's a real company, and Twilio founder Jeff Lawson appears
    to be behind it.

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Jeff Lawson, the cofounder of cloud computing company Twilio, appears
to have purchased the satirical news website The Onion from G/O
Media.

A trust linked to Lawson is behind a San Francisco-based company
called Global Tetrahedron, which shares the name of a fictional evil
megacorporation in a long-running Onion gag, business records show.

G/O Media CEO Jim Spanfeller confirmed the sale of The Onion to
Global Tetrahedron in an email Thursday to staff, first reported by
New York Times journalist Katie Robertson.

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. 
Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in.

Related stories

"This company is made up of four digital media veterans with a
profound love for The Onion and comedy based content," Spanfeller
wrote. "The site's new owners have agreed to keep The Onion's entire
staff intact and in Chicago, something we insisted be part of the
deal."

Advertisement

Lawson resigned as Twilio's CEO in January following a year of deep
layoffs and pressure from activist investors.

When asked whether he had purchased The Onion, Lawson played coy.
"What's The Onion?" he replied. Then, "What's a Tetrahedron?"

Business Insider was unsure how to respond to these questions.

"Am I talking to Twilio founder Jeff Lawson or am I just taking crazy
pills today?" Business Insider's reporter replied. Lawson did not
respond.

Advertisement

Lawson's apparent turn to the business of satirical-news media
surprised at least one former Twilio employee. When Lawson resigned,
"everyone thought he was going to get into politics," this person
said.

G/O Media's spokesperson declined to comment.

Read next

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