What Happened to HuffPost?

HuffPost, initially known as The Huffington Post, launched on May 9, 2005, co-founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, Jonah Peretti, and Andrew Breitbart, with a mission to offer a liberal counterpoint to conservative news aggregators. The site quickly gained traction for its blend of news, blogs, and original content, including a vast network of unpaid contributors.

A significant turning point occurred in March 2011 when AOL acquired The Huffington Post for $315 million, with Arianna Huffington taking on the role of president and editor-in-chief of the newly formed Huffington Post Media Group. This acquisition aimed to expand AOL's content empire and leverage HuffPost's digital success. However, the reliance on unpaid bloggers drew criticism, and the company struggled with profitability despite its growing audience.

In June 2015, Verizon Communications acquired AOL for $4.4 billion, making HuffPost part of Verizon Media. Arianna Huffington departed in August 2016 to launch her wellness startup, Thrive Global, marking the end of an era for the publication. In April 2017, the site officially rebranded to 'HuffPost' with a new logo and website design, reflecting a shift in editorial direction under new leadership. Despite these changes, Verizon Media initiated layoffs, including 20 employees in January 2019, and eliminated the opinion and health sections.

The digital media landscape continued to evolve, leading to BuzzFeed's acquisition of HuffPost from Verizon Media in an all-stock deal announced in November 2020 and completed in February 2021. This merger aimed to create a larger entity better equipped to compete for advertising revenue against tech giants. However, the acquisition was followed by significant layoffs, including 47 HuffPost staff in the U.S. and the closure of HuffPost Canada in March 2021, as BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti revealed HuffPost had lost approximately $20 million the previous year. Following the shutdown of BuzzFeed News in April 2023, BuzzFeed, Inc. refocused its news efforts into HuffPost, with plans to potentially rehire former BuzzFeed News employees.

In January 2025, HuffPost launched a freemium version, offering an ad-free experience and additional features to paying subscribers, reporting 60 million monthly global visitors at the time. However, by July 2025, traffic reportedly dropped by 40% due to Google's 'AI Overviews' feature, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by publishers in the AI-driven search environment. In April 2026, HuffPost integrated generative AI capabilities from Taboola to enhance its content offerings.

The most recent and significant development occurred in May 2026, when entertainment mogul Byron Allen's Allen Family Digital acquired a 52% stake in BuzzFeed Inc., including HuffPost, for $120 million. As part of this deal, Jonah Peretti transitioned to President of BuzzFeed AI, and Allen assumed the roles of Chairman and CEO. This acquisition signaled a new strategic direction, with Allen expressing a vision to expand HuffPost and BuzzFeed into free-streaming video, audio, and user-generated content. However, this transition has also been accompanied by further workforce reductions. In July 2026, approximately 15 editorial jobs were cut, and in August 2026, 10 HuffPost Union members were laid off, reducing the national desk to just three reporters, as part of a broader 35% workforce reduction across BuzzFeed's properties. As of August 25, 2026, HuffPost continues to operate under Allen's ownership, navigating the evolving digital media landscape with a leaner staff and a renewed focus on video and diverse content formats.