No, Enron isn’t actually returning; here’s how the company is ‘relaunching’

HOUSTON – Remember Enron? If you do, then you probably rolled your eyes or scoffed when you heard the company was announcing a relaunch. And you were right to do so.

Monday, December 2 marked more than 20 years since one of the largest bankruptcy filings in U.S. history.

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Thousands of lives were changed, investors’ confidence was damaged to the core, and while many of the big names (including its founder, Kenneth Lay) paid their debt to society, the notoriety behind Enron’s namesake remains.

That’s why many on X were, naturally, taken aback when the company posted a 60-second ad with the caption: “We’re back. Can we talk?” It featured a sleek new website with vague testimonials about comeback stories, and corporate stock images, that would impress the folks on Saturday Night Live.

There’s also a link to job openings with “employee testimonials” and a full-length video titled “I am Enron” that boasts movie-trailer-like qualities, from a baritone-voiced narrator to rockets launching into space. It’s almost “too good to be true,” and that’s probably because it is.

According to publicly available documents via the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Enron’s trademark was purchased back in 2020 by “The College Company, LLC” based in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

On the website’s company store, you’ll also find overpriced merchandise touting Enron’s “success” as “The World’s Leading Company.”

Many commentators were quick to call out the company and remind it of its history. Some had more tongue-in-cheek responses, like from Limewire, which said, “And I thought my comeback was risky.”

And just when you thought your eyebrows couldn’t be raised higher, Enron released a news release saying it would “relaunch as a company dedicated to solving the global energy crisis.”

However, other than a bunch of corporate jargon, there are no actual commitments, and from a satirical standpoint, it is admittedly pretty funny. One of its visionary key pillars (which has since been updated) for example, was: “Permissionless Innovation.”

So is it really all a parody? It’s arguably safe to say, and the commitment to the joke is admirable. The homepage features a giant banner that says a week from now, they “have something very special to introduce.”

So you might be asking, “What the hell is it exactly?” I literally asked that to Enron’s press team in an email, and they did reply, but only to tell me they’re still keeping things on the down low. Guess we’ll just have to be patient, but we’ll be watching closely for sure.