What do you mean Enron is ‘back’? Parody post confuses the internet

Simone Del Rosario: On Dec. 2, 23 years ago, energy company Enron filed for bankruptcy. The infamous accounting fraud cost shareholders tens of billions of dollars and thousands of employees lost their hard-earned pensions. 

On this anniversary, Enron claims to be back.

Enron ad: In the modern world you must accept change is the only constant…we understand this better than anyone and we’re here to lead by example.

Simone Del Rosario: The X post titled, “We’re back. Can we talk?” directs people to Enron.com, a website that claims the company is still an energy company, with the acronym of values: Energy, Nurture, Repentant, Opportunity and Nice. 

A press release says, “In 2024, Enron begins a new chapter, dedicated to solving the world’s energy challenges with innovation, adaptability, and a commitment to a brighter future.”

Are you suspicious? It’s Enron, you should be. Is it a parody or a grift? 

A closer look at the recruitment page shows the so-called “employees” are actually stock photos. That’s not Sarah…or Martín…or Malik. 

But aha! There’s a company store, selling Enron merch for as little as $118 for a black hoodie. Holiday gift, anyone?

A look at the finer print gives us the answer we’ve been looking for: THE INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE IS FIRST AMENDMENT PROTECTED PARODY, REPRESENTS PERFORMANCE ART, AND IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY.

Phew, that was a close one. 

The video reached millions before Community Notes put the parody in its place. 

It sparked very real reactions like this one: My grandparents were school teachers who lost $50k of their retirement savings to the Enron collapse. Absolutely thrilled that my children will be able to be scammed by Enron as well. 

Others speculated it’s a crypto scam, I mean, venture.

The move is reminiscent of two years ago, when RadioShack relaunched as a crypto company, with wild tweets coming from the former electronics store account. 

It hasn’t gone so well for them. RadioShack the crypto coin is about as relevant as a store selling VHS players.