Thud (media company)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Satirical media |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Founder | Ben Berkley, Cole Bolton, Elon Musk |
| Defunct | 2019 |
| Fate | Ceased operations after Elon Musk withdrew financial support |
Key people | Ben Berkley, Cole Bolton, Elon Musk |
| Products | Parody websites and products (e.g., TacStorm, 6 Minute Test, DNA Friend, Ploog, 833-GET-THUD, Mampfen) |
Thud was a satirical media enterprise established in 2017 by Ben Berkley, Cole Bolton, and Elon Musk. The organization developed parody websites and products but ceased operations in May 2019 following Musk's withdrawal of financial support.
Background
Elon Musk expressed interest in purchasing the satirical news outlet The Onion in 2014; however, discussions did not advance. In 2017, Musk invested US$2 million to support former Onion editors Ben Berkley and Cole Bolton in launching a satire-focused media company centered on current events. Berkley and Bolton enlisted additional ex-Onion team members to expand the venture. Musk officially unveiled the project as "Thud" in March 2018, referring to it as his "intergalactic media empire." The name was selected to suggest the sound of a heavy, dull impact.
By the end of 2018, Musk transferred ownership of the company to Berkley and Bolton due to concerns that Thud's satire might target his own enterprises. Despite releasing multiple satirical initiatives over six months, the founders were unable to attract further investment. After depleting funds on website maintenance, Thud discontinued its activities in May 2019.
Reception
Public response to Thud was varied. Upon its 2019 debut, Vulture commended the credited contributors and the darker tone of satire but noted that certain projects leaned on clichéd themes. Various media outlets drew attention to "DNA Friend," a parody of consumer DNA testing kits. Following Thud's closure, co-founder Bolton explained to The Verge that potential investors frequently misunderstood the satire's intended targets. A 2021 analysis by Mic critiqued Thud's output for falling short of expectations associated with an Elon Musk-supported former-Onion team.
Projects
- TacStorm – a parody website promoting a firearm capable of continuous firing.
- 6 Minute Test – a spoof on personality quizzes found online.
- DNA Friend – a mock product claiming ancestry identification through photographs of the mouth.
- Ploog – a satirical site advertising a "universal orifice adapter."
- 833-GET-THUD – a parody of complicated automated phone customer service systems.
- Mampfen – a humorous guide to dining establishments in Los Angeles.