Fact Checking

Satirical News Site ‘The Onion’ Acquired by Global Tetrahedron

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The Onion, a satirical news site, has been sold to Global Tetrahedron, a Chicago-based firm formed by four digital media veterans who are fans of the publication. This comes as G/O Media, the previous owner, has been divesting its portfolio of digital media sites due to market pressures.

G/O CEO Jim Spanfeller stated in a memo that the new owners have a deep appreciation for The Onion and its comedic content. The entire staff will remain, and the company will stay in Chicago. The four veterans behind Global Tetrahedron are ex-Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson, former NBC News reporter Ben Collins, ex-TikTok executive Leila Brillson, and former Tumblr executive Danielle Strle. Lawson is the primary funder, with Collins as CEO, Brillson as CMO, and Strle as CPO.

G/O, owned by Great Hill Partners, has been selling off many brands in its extensive digital portfolio. It has retained Gizmodo, Jalopnik, Kotaku, The Root, The Inventory, and Quartz. In a recent press release, G/O highlighted Quartz’s traffic increase, claiming it reached its highest since its acquisition in May 2022.

Global Tetrahedron LLC, registered in Illinois on April 16, is managed by the San Francisco-based Lawson Revocable Trust, with Lawson as a trustee.