Enron pranksters tease crypto token launch 23 years later

A group of pranksters has revived the infamous Enron brand, more than two decades after the company’s massive fraud led to its bankruptcy.

On December 2, the group, claiming to represent Enron, made an announcement stating the company would relaunch with a mission to solve the global energy crisis.

The announcement was shared on social media platform X and was followed by advertisements in Houston, Texas, where the original company had its headquarters, including a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle.

“We do not have any token or coin (yet). Stay tuned, we are excited to show you more soon,” the revived Enron teased the launch of a crypto token in a now-deleted post.

“The information was 'first amendment protected parody, represents performance art, and is for entertainment purposes only,'” the group behind the parody Enron also posted as a disclaimer on its website.

The trademark for Enron is owned by College Company, an Arkansas firm co-founded by Connor Gaydos, who is known for creating the "birds aren’t real" conspiracy theory.

The prank has sparked mixed reactions. Diana Peters, who represented Enron employees during the bankruptcy proceedings, criticised the stunt, calling it “sick” and “extremely rude” to former employees who suffered due to the company’s collapse. She also highlighted the financial struggles many workers continue to face.

On the other hand, Sherron Watkins, Enron’s former vice president of corporate development, took a more lenient view, stating that comedy often helps bring attention to uncomfortable historical events.

Enron's bankruptcy in 2001 followed the exposure of its accounting fraud, marking the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history at that time and causing the loss of thousands of jobs.