Now We Know

Now we know why the Atlantic went after Kash last week

— Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) April 21, 2026

Grok—
Jack Posobiec's post👆 connects The Atlantic's recent article alleging FBI Director Kash Patel's excessive drinking and absences to Emerson Collective, the magazine's majority owner founded by Laurene Powell Jobs, which has historical and reported financial ties to the SPLC.

The timing aligns with Patel and the DOJ announcing an indictment against the SPLC for fraud, including funneling over $3 million through shell accounts to leaders in groups like the KKK and other extremists it purported to oppose.

The funding ties referenced in discussions around Jack Posobiec's post (and similar commentary) center on Emerson Collective—the majority owner of The Atlantic—and its relationship with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).Ownership of The AtlanticEmerson Collective, founded by Laurene Powell Jobs (widow of Steve Jobs), acquired a majority stake in The Atlantic in 2017. This makes Emerson the controlling entity behind the magazine's operations and editorial direction in a broad sense.

Emerson Collective has provided philanthropic funding (grants) to the SPLC. Key details include:

• Laurene Powell Jobs has personally referenced supporting the SPLC, including an early personal donation as a high school student and later involvement through Emerson. In public remarks, she noted that Emerson had been "funding SPLC" anonymously as part of its philanthropy, and the organization collaborated with them on projects like "Teaching Tolerance" curriculum.
• Emerson's giving is often kept anonymous or low-profile, as it operates primarily as an LLC rather than a traditional foundation. It focuses on issues like education, immigration, environment, and social justice—areas that overlap with SPLC's work on "hate groups," civil rights, and voter/civic engagement.
• Specific grant amounts to the SPLC are not always itemized publicly due to Emerson's structure and anonymous giving practices, but the relationship is longstanding and acknowledged by Powell Jobs herself. Emerson has also partnered with or highlighted SPLC-related content (e.g., resources or stories on hate crimes, voting rights, and immigrant issues).

The SPLC itself is a large nonprofit with hundreds of millions in assets/endowment, much of it from donations, but it receives support from various left-leaning philanthropies.

Context in the Patel Story
Critics (including Posobiec) argue this creates a conflict of interest or motive for The Atlantic's April 17, 2026, article on Kash Patel. The piece alleged issues with Patel's drinking and attendance, based heavily on anonymous sources. Patel responded by filing a $250 million defamation lawsuit, calling it a "malicious hit piece."

The implied angle is retaliation or bias: As FBI Director, Patel's DOJ/FBI has been involved in actions against or investigations touching the SPLC (e.g., recent federal fraud indictments against the SPLC related to its use of paid informants in extremism cases). Conservatives have long criticized the SPLC for its "hate group" designations, which they view as targeting mainstream conservative, Christian, or immigration-restriction organizations.

Emerson's broader left-leaning philanthropy (immigration reform, education "disruption," climate) aligns ideologically with SPLC priorities, which fuels the narrative that ownership + funding = slanted coverage.

Caveats
• No public evidence shows direct, earmarked "pay-to-smear" funding specifically for the Patel article. The connection is structural and ideological rather than a proven quid pro quo.
• Emerson's grants support many nonprofits; SPLC is one beneficiary among others in social justice spaces.
• The Atlantic maintains editorial independence in theory, but ownership influences overall direction, as with any media outlet.

This tie is frequently highlighted in conservative media/X discussions as an example of "dark money" or interconnected progressive networks influencing mainstream reporting. Public records on exact grant sizes are limited due to Emerson's non-traditional structure.