More than two decades after the brand was sullied by fraud and some of its top executives were sent to prisonEnron is … back?
An initial scan of a newly-launched website may give the impression that the American energy company epitomizing corporate greed and corruption has been resurrected from the ashes of bankruptcy. The website, Enron.comlaunched Monday on the 23rd anniversary of the company’s bankruptcy filing along with a press release and official-looking promo video.
Don’t call it a comeback.
No, really: Don’t.
What at first-glance seems to be a rebranding of one of the most infamous companies in modern history appears to instead be an elaborate joke.
Holiday deals: Shop this season’s top products and sales curated by our editors.
If the fact that one of the guys behind the satirical “Birds Aren’t Real” conspiracy theory is involved in the relaunch doesn’t convince you, the company’s own terms and conditions should: By its own admission, the website is “protected parody” for “entertainment purposes only.”
But hey, that doesn’t mean you can’t buy merch or sign up for email newsletters. Here’s what we know so far about the apparent satirical resurrection of Enron.
What we know about Enron’s website, relaunch
Enron announced its return in a press release Monday inexplicably posted as an image file on its new, rebranded website. The announcement was replete with corporate platitudes about leadership and progress while unveiling Enron’s 21st century mission: “solving the global energy crisis.”
The release even included a press email, which USA TODAY contacted Tuesday morning seeking comment.
The website, which is packed with stock images and video, includes a career portal accompanied by testimonials and teases “something very special” coming in less than a week from the company.
Under a section titled, “our values,” an acronym for Enron lays out the company’s apparent principles, which for the letter N includes the word, “Nice.”
“Success isn’t just about what we achieve, but how we treat others along the way – and it starts by being nice,” the website states.
On its social media accounts, the new Enron also released a minute-long video – a corny montage of cities, rocket launches and a twirling ballerina accompanied with narration about a changing world. The video ends with a series of people – a farmer, a pregnant woman and a boxer – all proudly stating, “I am Enron.”
What was Enron?
Enron was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas.
In 2001, Enron collapsed in a market-shaking bankruptcy amid revelations that the company had grossly overstated its earnings. The financial implosion victimized tens of thousands of employees and investors.
Some, like chief executive Jeffrey Skilling and Andrew Fastow, the company’s former chief financial officer, received prison sentences.
Kenneth Lay, Enron’s former chairman, died of a heart attack in 2006, one month after his career ended with a criminal conviction for lying to investors about the company’s finances.
‘Birds aren’t real’ guy purchased Enron trademark in 2020
Public documents first found by CNN show that the Arkansas-based company behind the Enron trademark purchase is owned by Connor Gaydos, who, along with Peter McIndoe, created the mock “Birds Aren’t Real” conspiracy theory.
The joke conspiracy is meant to satirize the spread of misinformation by proliferating the false idea that the U.S. government wiped out birds and replaced the animals with drones to spy on Americans.
Gaydos’ LLC, The College Company, bought the Enron trademark in 2020 for $275, the documents show.
The website’s terms list the Enron relaunch as “performance art,” but other than that, it’s unclear what Gaydos’ plans are for the brand going forward.
USA TODAY left a message Tuesday for Gaydos that was not immediately returned.
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
