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TechElon Musk

Here’s Why Elon Musk Is Poaching ‘The Onion’ Staffers

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
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By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
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March 14, 2018, 10:33 AM ET

Elon Musk seems to really love The Onion.

The famed entrepreneur has hired several staffers and writers at The Onion to work on a secret project, The Daily Beast is reporting. Among the new hires is former editor in chief of The Onion Cole Bolton, as well as former executive editor Ben Berkley, according to the report. They are apparently leading the effort and have hired three writers and one editor who previously worked at The Onion.

Although what they’re working on is still unknown, the former staffers and Musk seem all too willing to confirm they’re up to something.

“We can confirm that we have learned nothing from prevailing trends in media and are launching a brand-new comedy project,” Bolton and Berkley told The Daily Beast. In a statement to the news outlet, Musk said “it’s pretty obvious that comedy is the next frontier after electric vehicles, space exploration, and brain-computer interfaces.”

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The Onion has for years been one of the more popular satire news destinations on the Web. The site is filled with funny takes on news and fake news created by its staff of writers and editors. Univision acquired The Onion in 2016.

According to The Daily Beast, Musk has had interest in The Onion for years and tried to acquire the site in 2014. But after the deal fell through, Musk remained a fan. He also apparently cooked up an idea that centers on comedy and looked to former staffers at The Onion to make it a reality.

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