Former South Park Writer Plans Major Trolling Campaign Against Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary Over Utah Data Centre Project
Toby Morton, a former writer for the hit animated series “South Park,” has announced ambitious plans to launch a significant trolling operation targeting Kevin O’Leary, the well-known Canadian businessman and “Shark Tank” personality, often referred to as “Mr. Wonderful.” The campaign is a direct response to O’Leary’s financial backing of a massive, 9-gigawatt data centre project situated on a sprawling 40,000-acre site in Utah. This venture has already ignited considerable backlash from local communities and state officials.
Morton detailed his intentions in a recent social media post, highlighting the environmental and resource concerns surrounding the data centre. “Kevin O’Leary is backing a massive AI data centre near the Great Salt Lake, powered by natural gas and fast-tracked by state officials,” Morton stated. “Scientists warn it could increase emissions, strain resources, and further impact an ecosystem already in decline.”
Adding a personal touch to his protest, Morton revealed that he has acquired the domain name KevinOLearyTV.com, a move he intends to leverage for his campaign. “Kevin is also aware that I own KevinOLearyTV.com, his social media handle as a domain name,” Morton added. “I’ll be using it accordingly. Billboards are on the way.”
Morton is actively soliciting donations to fund his billboard campaign, which will be promoted through the newly established website. Visitors to the site can anticipate a range of content, including updates from Utah residents on the ground, crucial public information regarding the data centre’s environmental impact, and a healthy dose of “satire, commentary, and excessive pettiness.” He further elaborated that the website will serve as a constant, albeit pointed, reminder of the project’s controversial nature, stemming from O’Leary’s oversight in securing his own online identity. “Occasional reminders that this website exists because Kevin forgot to buy his own social media handle as a domain name,” he quipped.
This is not the first time Morton has employed his creative talents to challenge public figures. He previously engaged in a similar tactic against former President Donald Trump. Following Trump’s attempts to rebrand the Kennedy Center, Morton purchased multiple domain names associated with the initiative. In December, he launched TrumpKennedyCenter.org, a website that featured pointed critiques of the Trump administration’s policies and its handling of sensitive issues, including the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. The site included visual elements that underscored Trump’s past associations with the late financier and convicted sex offender.
The controversy surrounding O’Leary’s Utah data centre project raises several critical points:
- Environmental Impact: Concerns are high regarding the potential increase in greenhouse gas emissions from the natural gas power source, the strain on local water resources, and the broader impact on the fragile ecosystem of the Great Salt Lake.
- Regulatory Speed: The project’s “fast-tracked” approval process by state officials has drawn scrutiny, with critics questioning whether adequate environmental reviews and public consultations have taken place.
- Economic vs. Environmental Priorities: The development highlights the ongoing tension between economic growth and technological advancement, and the imperative to protect natural resources and environmental health.
Morton’s campaign underscores a growing trend of public activism leveraging digital platforms and creative, often humorous, tactics to influence corporate and political decisions. By combining satire with substantive information, he aims to amplify the voices of concerned Utah residents and environmental advocates, ensuring that the potential downsides of this large-scale data centre project receive widespread attention. The acquisition of O’Leary’s domain name serves as a highly visible and perhaps embarrassing focal point for this activism, turning a business oversight into a public platform for dissent.
