Have I got a deal for you. The future of energy production can be yours in the comfort of your own home. Meet The Egg, an at-home nuclear reactor from Enron, a trusted name in American energy. If you buy The Egg, I will also throw in a bridge in Brooklyn free of charge.
None of this is real, but Enron.com is now a website detailing The Egg, a fictional product positioned as “a revolution in energy.” It’s an egg-shaped tabletop device with a heat-resistant casing, heavy-water pump, monitoring system and a uranium zirconium hydride reactor. There’s even a product reveal video that perfectly mimics a real tech launch.
Fake Egg, real Enron?
The Egg may be fake, but the Enron name is alive and may be part of a marketing push for something bigger.
Enron was responsible for an infamous corporate scandal. The energy giant filed for bankruptcy in 2001, marking a sharp fall from grace. CNET’s coverage at the time noted Enron had been “among the most successful companies in the world” and that its collapse was “one of the most dramatic corporate flameouts in history.”
Enron’s historic failure makes The Egg and its promise of energy independence for homeowners all the more humorous. The product supposedly launched on Jan. 6, as announced on social media.
The website doesn’t list a price for The Egg, but suggests it’s significantly more affordable than the $19,000 to $50,000 price tag for a traditional energy system. There’s no buy-it-now option, but you can sign up for a newsletter. The company has been sending out updates that perpetuate the idea of The Egg as a real product. An online store full of shirts and related merch with the Enron logo is actually in operation.
Enron filings
Connor Gaydos, one the people behind the Birds Aren’t Real parody movement, is the CEO of the new Enron.
The Egg appears to be part parody and part art project, but there may be something else stirring under the surface.
Connor Gaydos is listed as Enron’s CEO in the company’s articles of incorporation in Delaware, as shared with CNET by Enron press representative Will Chabot of Stu Loeser & Co. Gaydos is the co-author of a book about Birds Aren’t Real, a movement designed as a parody of conspiracy theories. Birds Aren’t Real pushes the idea that birds are government spy drones.
Enron also incorporated in Texas in late December 2024 as Enron Energy Texas LLC, according to documents shared by Chabot. The company followed that up by filing to become a retail electric provider in the state. That filing lists Gregory Forero — co-founder and CEO of HGP Storage — as a vice president of the LLC. HGP Storage is an energy storage company in Texas. HGP managing partner Evan Caron is also listed as a vice president. That means real energy industry professionals are connected to Enron’s moves.
The Egg may be a harbinger of more to come — a joke that catches attention and garners publicity ahead of a more serious business launch. We’ll have to see what unfolds. The only thing that’s certain is you can’t order a mini nuclear reactor for your coffee table.