I know, I know, I need to stop paying attention whatever this is. It would seem I can’t help myself.
The very unserious company that took over the defunct Enron brand on Monday unveiled its supposedly “groundbreaking” product: the Enron Egg.
But the Enron Egg is no normal egg, company leadership claimed the device is a “micro-nuclear reactor” capable of powering entire homes. Enron CEO Connor Gaydos made the announcement in a video that the company claimed was from the Enron Power Summit, an event for which the Chronicle was unable to confirm the location, date or time.
Gaydos, the 28-year-old behind the satirical conspiracy theory “Birds Aren’t Real,” claimed the Enron Egg could continuously power a home for 10 years.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have harnessed the power of the atom, introducing the Enron egg, the world’s first micro nuclear reactor for residential, suburban use,” Gaydos said in the video. “This little device can power your entire home for up to 10 continuous years.”
Gaydos and Enron have made lofty promises for the company’s supposed return in what has appeared to be a publicity stunt thus far. Skeptics have pointed to a clause on Enron’s website labeling its content as parody. Gaydos addressed that criticism in a post on X made Friday afternoon.
“As if I didn’t know people would immediately find that in our Terms of Service. People sharing it around like they’re forest gumbo discovering the shrimp business,” Gaydos wrote. “Putting performance art in our terms of service is the highest IQ behavior possible in the age of rogue government bureaucrat witch hunts.”
Gaydos claims the Enron Egg is safe for in-home use because it has 20% enriched uranium, which is below the 90% threshold typically used in nuclear weapons, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, a public policy organization geared toward the responsible and ethical application of science. Uranium that is 20% enriched is still classified as “highly enriched uranium” and can still be used in weapons, according to the union.
Let’s just cut to the chase, shall we?
Learn more about the Egg here:
— Adrian Bott (@Cavalorn) 1:09 PM – 6 January 2025
I got nothing. I wonder again who this joke is for. It’s elaborate and multi-layered, I’ll give them all that much. But even the Chron reporters are wondering who’s paying for this gag.
But with the company erecting billboards and taking out full-page ads in both the New York Times’ and the Houston Chronicle’s print editions — the latter of which can cost as much as $1.4 million, according to WebFx, a digital marketing firm — it’s clear that, while Enron’s revival may be an elaborate prank, there’s very real money at stake.
The phrase “more money than brains” comes to mind, but maybe I’m the sucker. We’ll see what’s in the next episode.