Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has filed for bankruptcy.
Jones, the founder of the far-right conspiracy website InfoWars, was indicted after accusing relatives of children and teachers killed in the Sandy Hook shooting of being actors who faked the massacre.
The 48-year-old described the shooting as “a counterfeit three-dollar bill” and claimed the entire event was staged to curb gun rights.
He lost the case in October and was ordered to pay nearly $1 billion loss to the families of the victims.
In December 2012, a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut killed 20 students aged six and seven and six staff members.
Jones was ordered to pay a total of $965m (£791m) in damages.
The conspiracy theorist filed for Chapter 11 creditor protection in U.S. bankruptcy court in Houston, Texas, saying he has assets of $1 million to $10 million and assets of $1 billion to $10 billion, according to a court filing. debt.
Chapter 11 bankruptcy laws allow companies or individuals to file a restructuring plan so they can pay off their debts while continuing to operate.
Notorious US conspiracy theorist Alex Jones ordered to pay $965 million to families of Sandy Hook school massacre
The controversial host has been banned from nearly all major social media due to his conspiracy theories.
However, he still streams content on his platform to a loyal online following.
Jones once again made headlines around the world Thursday after he joined Kanye West In an interview, the rapper praised Hitler.
Despite Jones’ exile on social media, clips of his conversations with the rapper have gone viral, and West’s views on the Nazis have sparked widespread outrage.
“You’re not Hitler, you’re not a Nazi, so you shouldn’t be called and demonized like that,” he told the rapper.
West, whose face was covered by a black mask throughout the interview, replied: “Well, I see the good in Hitler too.
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Who is Alex Jones?
“I love everyone, and the Jews don’t tell me, ‘You can love, you know, us’…Everyone has something of value that they bring to the table, especially Hitler.”
Originally from Austin, Texas, Jones started working in cable television in the 1990s, where he developed a cult following thanks to his conspiracy theories.
In 1999, he co-founded the InfoWars website, which became popular in online conspiracy circles and reportedly had more than 10 million monthly visits in 2017.
However, the site’s parent company, Free Speech Systems LLC, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year following numerous controversies and lawsuits.
In addition to the Sandy Hook conspiracy theory, he infamously spread the “Pizzagate” fake story, claiming that a pizzeria in Washington, D.C., was the center of an international pedophile abuse ring run by a prominent Democrat.