Jeff Lawson, the former CEO of Twilio, recently left the company after facing pressure from activist investors. He now refers to himself as a “shareholder” at Twilio, indicating a shift in his role within the company. Interestingly, Lawson recently purchased The Onion, a well-known satire publication, through his company Global Tetrahedron. The acquisition was met with some confusion, as Lawson asked The Onion’s readers to donate just one dollar in exchange for “absolutely nothing.” This move was inspired by WhatsApp’s original model of charging a dollar per year before being acquired by Facebook for billions.
Lawson aims to revitalize The Onion, which he believes has been stifled in recent years by various online nuisances such as paywalls and cookie dialogs. By encouraging readers to donate a small amount, Lawson hopes to create a more independent and enjoyable experience for The Onion’s audience. This approach mirrors WhatsApp’s strategy of creating a financial investment for users to increase their engagement with the service. With this new direction, Lawson and his team at Global Tetrahedron are looking to bring back the humor and relevance that made The Onion a cultural phenomenon in the past.
