Gawker ordered to pay $115 million in hulk hogan case. (RIP Gawker)

[NynJa]

I thought this one chick was also awarded an insane amount? Yeah, around 50 million for a leaked vid a couple of weeks ago. But yeah, this vid got Hollywood Hulk Hogan kicked out of the wwf and ruined the man's life... probably.

Actually it was the leaked clip of Hogan going full KKK that got kicked him out of the WWE.

[dasva]

You'd think he would have learned the first time to shut his mouth until the appeals process has played out. He was just eviscerated by an attorney by being forced to discredit himself with his own writing not one month ago and he here is throwing more gasoline on his own funeral pyre.

It's not really surprising though. If it's controversial and/or sensational and will generate hits so let's do it

[Quicklet]

Obviously Gawker is going to be biased toward their own side, but if most of the stuff in that article is factually true, what a sham of a trial. There's no way $140mil stands on appeal, and I wouldn't be surprised if it gets thrown out entirely.

[Dantrag]

I read they can't appeal until they pay 50mil or something like that. No idea if that's factual.

[Fiye]

Thats what I've heard Dantrag. That in Florida they'd have to deposit the required amount (Capping at $50m), plus two years interest into an escrow account.

[Fiye]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/25/bu...wker.html?_r=0

Turns out Hulk Hogan had a financial backer. Peter Thiel wanted some revenge from gawker for outing him back in 2007.

[Byrthnoth]

lol ...and they began to suspect someone vindictive was involved when Hogan's lawyers dropped the only charge Gawker was actually insured against.

[Fiye]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanmac/.../#31718f257805

If Gawker fails in its appeal in Hogan’s first case, it may not be around much longer to explore that new focus. On top of the $140 million in total damages facing Gawker, the company has already likely accumulated millions of dollars in legal fees defending itself. Lawsuits like these can have a chilling effect on the rest of the media industry, said First Amendment expert Peter Scheer, as they may encourage other wealthy individuals to back litigation against media companies that run unflattering stories about them.

“That’s often the purpose of these cases,” said Scheer, the director of the First Amendment Coalition. “Winning is the ultimate chilling effect, but if you can’t win the case, you at least want the editors to think twice before writing another critical story about you.”

Scheer, who has followed the Gawker situation closely but was unaware of a relationship between Thiel, Harder and Hogan, said he expects to see more lawsuits like this one to be brought against other media organizations: “It’s more common today than it has ever been, because there are more private individuals with enough unrestricted cash to be able to do that.”

The guy is also a libertarian and a support of Donald Trump, if that matters to you at all.

[dasva]

Lol "unflattering" stories. Yeah that's what this is about

[archibaldcrane]

Thiel confirmed for buttblasted gamergater

[Quicklet]

Skimmed the original article that outed him on Gawker. This comment from Denton on the article is telling in hindsight:

If Silicon Valley is the bastion of tolerance it likes to believe, and if the tech industry cares only about money, it's surprising that Thiel would have kept his personal life a secret from journalists and his closest colleagues, for so long. He was so paranoid that, when I was looking into the story, a year ago, I got a series of messages relaying the destruction that would rain down on me, and various innocent civilians caught in the crossfire, if a story ever ran.

I guess Thiel made good on that promise.

[archibaldcrane]

Let's just hope that other rich people don't take this as a model for how to get back at unfavorable press coverage.

http://www.vox.com/2016/5/26/1177285...iel-gawker-war

[Ragnus]

This was my largest concern about the trial.

[tyven]

i cant wait until president trump learns from this and the only news organization letft in the country is breitbart.

[archibaldcrane]

This was my largest concern about the trial.

Your biggest concern was that Hogan was secretly a trojan horse for a scorned billionaire?

Your imagination is much more vivid than mine!

[dasva]

Eh the case is completely legitimate and might not have really gone this far without help.

Also lol at Mother Jones. Who the hell spends $2.5 million in legal fees fighting a $75k lawsuit?

[Obsidian]

If money was no object for me, I was a vindictive dickhead who refuses to lose, and felt like I could win the case, I probably would.

[archibaldcrane]

Also lol at Mother Jones. Who the hell spends $2.5 million in legal fees fighting a $75k lawsuit?

I'm assuming their insurance picked up most of that tab.

[dasva]

I'm assuming their insurance picked up most of that tab.

It did but still seems like a losing proposition. Plus I'm sure the insurer raised their rates after paying all that

[archibaldcrane]

That makes it a perfect example - rich person bleeding a media company of cash because they didn't like what said company reported, puts them in a no-win situation even if the case is without merit.