Former Breitbart technology editor Milo Yiannopoulos is readying a high-profile return thanks to a $12 million investment in his latest project: Milo Inc.
Simon & Schuster backed out of a publishing deal with Mr. Yiannopoulos in February — and he was essentially forced to step down from Breitbart — due to controversial remarks about sexual abuse he experienced as a teenager, but the provocateur is primed for a comeback. In addition to a “Free Speech Week” event planned for later this year, the pundit showed Vanity Fair a contract for a big-budget venture.
“The business, which will be called Milo Inc., will be even more focused on stoking the sort of ugly political conflict that’s closer to the surface than ever in these early months of the Trump administration,” Vanity Fair reported Friday.
The magazine was shown a page of Mr. Yiannopoulos’ contract with his investors’ names censored, and writer Tina Nguyen also interviewed someone close to the project who requested anonymity.
“Milo has the best instincts about these things,” the source said.
Milo Inc. will be a Miami-based company with roughly 30 staff members.
“The business of Madonna became touring,” Mr. Yiannopoulos told the magazine, citing the artist’s Live Nation contract. “I’m doing the same thing, but instead of signing up with Live Nation, I’m building one. I’m building it for libertarian and conservative comedians, writers, stand-up comics, intellectuals, you name it.”
The pundit is also organizing Free Speech Week at UC Berkeley, where a previous event was derailed by violent protesters.
“My proposed Free Speech Week will proceed as planned later this year. I WILL BRING AN ARMY IF I HAVE TO,” he said Wednesday on Facebook. “We will ensure that Ann [Coulter] and others can speak and we will publicly, ritually humiliate UC Berkeley for its failure to meet its legal obligations until conservative speakers no longer fear violent mobs just for exercising their First Amendment rights. Berkeley is going to become the free speech capital of the United States once again. I will make sure of it.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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