Today the founder of Gawker Media , Nick Denton , announced that his belly-up company would settle claims with three litigant : the grappler Hulk Hogan , the scientist Shiva Ayyadurai , and the journalist Ashley Terrill . According to documents filed in Union bankruptcy tribunal , the three colony sum up $ 32,250,000 . Ina post on his personal web log , Denton wrote , “ After four years of judicial proceeding fund by a billionaire with a grudge get back even further , a settlement has been reached . The saga is over . ”
Ayyadurai , who sued over several Gawker Media narrative that cast doubt on hisclaims to have invented emailin 1978 at the age of 14 — seven years after cyberspace pioneer Ray Tomlinsonsent the first electronic messageusing the engineering wide recognized by experts as underlying the contemporary email system — will receive $ 750,000 . Terrill , who was the subject ofa story published by Gawkerabout her participation in a feud between the Centennial State - laminitis of the see app Tinder , will receive $ 500,000 . Hogan , who was awarded in $ 140,100,000 in damagesover Gawker ’s reportage and publication of a brief excerpt of a video in which he could be check receive sex , will take in the remaining $ 31,000,000 . As part of the settlements , the stories about Ayyadurai , Terrill , and Hogan will be removed from Gawker ’s website . Two other stories concerning Ayyadurai , which were bring out by Gizmodo , were delete in Septemberin the course of Univision ’s skill of Gawker Media ’s assets .
All three litigants were represented by the Los Angeles entertainment attorney Charles J. Harder , who receive financial backup from the Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thielin a 10 - foresighted effort to destroy Gawker Media . Thiel publicly acknowledged funding Hogan ’s case , buthas given contradictory answersabout his involvement in other causa . In May , hetold theNew York Timesthat he was in fact supporting other litigants against Gawker , butseemed to exact at a public press conference this weekthat he supported Hogan ’s case alone .
In his stake announcing the settlements , Denton debate that Gawker Media anticipated prevailing against the Harder - backed litigator — echoing his initial response to the enormous Hogan verdict handed down in March . “ We have had our day in trial court , and we lost,”he save at the clock time . “We will have our day back in appeals court , and we will be vindicate . ” Several months later , in June , the jurist overseeing the Hogan trial refused to stay the finding of fact to allow for Gawker Media to attract , forcing the company to declare bankruptcy and betray six of its seven internet site to Univision . in short thereafter , Thielvowed to put up Hoganthrough the lengthy and expensive charm process .
Thiel ’s hope manifestly change Denton ’s calculation . An “ all - out legal state of war with Thiel would have be too much , and hurt too many people , and there was no destruction in sight , ” Denton wrote today , mention Harder ’s conclusion to aim individual writers and editors , like former Gawker writer Sam Biddle , current Gizmodo Media Group executive editor program John Cook , and former Gawker editor - in - chief A.J. Daulerio — who has been open toexcruciating collection effortsfrom Hogan ’s attorneys despite having a nett Charles Frederick Worth of electronegative $ 27,000 . “ The Valley billionaire , famously relentless , had committed publicly to back up Hulk Hogan beyond the entreaty and ‘ until his final victory . ’ Gawker ’s nemesis was not go forth . ”
GawkerPeter Thiel
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