‘Saturday Night Live’ takes a swing at ‘Mr. Wonderful’ and his Box Elder County data center project
Saturday Night Live mocked investor Kevin O’Leary’s proposed Stratos data center in Box Elder County, Utah, highlighting concerns about its water use, noise and environmental impacts. The project is also connected to a defamation lawsuit filed by activists opposing it, while O’Leary’s lawyers have moved to dismiss the case.
Saturday Night Live used a “Weekend Update” sketch to criticize Kevin O’Leary’s proposed Stratos data center in Box Elder County. Actor James Austin Johnson portrayed O’Leary and joked that the project would replace 40,000 acres with a loud computer while consuming water and affecting nearby residents through noise and pollution.
The segment also referenced a defamation lawsuit brought by activists protesting the project. O’Leary’s attorneys recently asked a court to dismiss the case, arguing that a reasonable viewer would not have interpreted his claims that Utah opposition was funded by China as factual. A Utah State University survey cited by The Salt Lake Tribune found that 76% of Utah residents oppose building more data centers in the state.