Enron back with ‘Power Summit’ set for January 6. But read the fine print

On January 7, 2025By Littum

Is Enron back? After an X post claimed company’s “new CEO hit with cake in NYC,” social media erupts with questions about the company and the perceived assault.

Enron, the company infamous for its 2001 collapse, was exposed for defrauding investors and enriching top officials after a five-year FBI investigation led to jury verdicts and guilty pleas from many involved. Founder and CEO Kenneth Lay was found guilty of securities fraud in connection with the scandal and died three months before his scheduled sentencing in 2006. Lay’s sentence was vacated after his death.

A screenshot of the aforementioned X post appeared to be circulating further Facebook in mid-December, where users distribute their own takes.

“Oh, it wasn’t homemade, it was made in a factory…” one user wrote. Another noted: “Enron went down in 2007. It doesn’t exist today.”

But has Enron bounced back? Not exactly.

Who owns the new Enron?

According to United States Patent and Trademark Officethere are several trademarks and service marks registered or applied for by Enron Corporation, including “ENRON. WE ARE BACK. ASK WHY.“;”ENRON BORGAR“;”ENRON THE WORLD’S LEADING COMPANY“;”I AM ENRON“; among others.

So who owns the Enron Corporation?

The answer is The College Company LLC, owned by noted satirist Connor Gaydos. Gaydos is half the brains behind the fake movement”Birds are not real” — a parody of a conspiracy theory that claims birds have gone extinct and been replaced by government drones. No, not the drones people claim to see in the skies over the mid-Atlantic, but US government surveillance drones. Media reports claim Gaydos began the parody in 2017 with Peter McIndoe, but the pair argue that the movement began decades earlier during the McCarthy-era persecution of Americans who held far-left views.

Since its founding, the Birds Aren’t Real Movement advocates have opened chapters on college campuses, made network television appearances and sold lots of merchandise. Next, it seems, comes Enron.

Gaydos’ LLC purchased the Enron trademark in 2020 for $275, documents show. Gaydos is listed as the company’s CEO on his website.

On the new Enron website, the company states the following under its terms of use:

“The information on the website about Enron is First Amendment-protected parody, represents performance art, and is for entertainment purposes only.”

Enron aims to ‘solve global energy crisis’, ‘warn against corporate greed’

On December 2, the company issued a press release titled “Enron Corporation Announces Relaunch with a Vision to Solve the Global Energy Crisis.”

“With a bold new vision, Enron will leverage cutting-edge technology, human ingenuity and the spirit of adaptation to address the critical challenges of energy sustainability, availability and affordability,” the release said.

The company also listed four “key pillars” of the new vision: “Adaptation as strength”, “leadership by example”, “forgiveness and progress” and “solving the energy crisis”.

According to their website, Enron is employmentand highlights comprehensive benefits as a draw for professionals eager to advance their vision. Current “employees” praise the company as “egalitarian,” “honest” and “leading the way for a new chapter in American business.”

According to US Patent and Trademark Officethe company’s trademarked class is educational and entertainment services, “namely, continuing programming about the dangers of corporatism and corporate greed available via radio, television, satellite, web-based and mobile phone applications.”

Listed under the goods and services of the various Enron entities are merchandise such as calculators, staplers, beach towels; beverages such as beer and wine; and other offers such as audio and video recordings.

USA TODAY fact check rates Enron pie incident as satire

ONE fact check by USA TODAY have found the post of “CEO” (Gaydos) taking a pie to the face to be satirical in several ways. First, it’s Gaydos, a well-known satirist, who goes here, and the incident itself looks like the 1998 pie attack on Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

Furthermore, X users themselves added their own fact-checking in the form of reader context, with the consensus being that the pie incident was actually a “publicity stunt to advertise a crypto coin.”

Enron hosts ‘power summit’ on January 6

According to Enron websitethe company will host a “power summit” on Monday 6 January. For those who can’t wait that long, Enron merchandise is available on the company’s websitewith hoodies emblazoned with the Enron logo (price $118).

“The world is ready for growth, transformation and rebirth,” Enrons the return statement reads. “Enron is poised to lead.”