This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36395954
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Paypal founder is 'vindictive comic book villain' | Paypal founder is 'vindictive comic book villain' |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Gossip site Gawker has called Paypal founder Peter Thiel a comic book villain who mounted a "vindictive campaign" of lawsuits against the site. | Gossip site Gawker has called Paypal founder Peter Thiel a comic book villain who mounted a "vindictive campaign" of lawsuits against the site. |
Gawker lost a $140m lawsuit Mr Thiel funded on behalf of ex- wrestler Hulk Hogan two months ago, and faces an uncertain future. | Gawker lost a $140m lawsuit Mr Thiel funded on behalf of ex- wrestler Hulk Hogan two months ago, and faces an uncertain future. |
Mr Thiel told the New York Times he funded legal actions as a deterrent rather than for revenge. | Mr Thiel told the New York Times he funded legal actions as a deterrent rather than for revenge. |
Mr Thiel was outed as gay by Gawker's Valleywag blog in 2007. | Mr Thiel was outed as gay by Gawker's Valleywag blog in 2007. |
Gawker chief executive Nick Denton likened Mr Thiel to a "comic-book villain" in an open letter. | Gawker chief executive Nick Denton likened Mr Thiel to a "comic-book villain" in an open letter. |
Valleywag also ran a number of stories about Facebook, which provided part of Mr Thiel's estimated $2.7bn fortune. Mr Thiel is on the Facebook board. | Valleywag also ran a number of stories about Facebook, which provided part of Mr Thiel's estimated $2.7bn fortune. Mr Thiel is on the Facebook board. |
On Thursday Gawker's Mr Denton said in the letter to Mr Thiel: "This vindictive decade-long campaign is quite out of proportion to the hurt you claim. Your plaintiff's lawyer, Charles Harder, has sued not just the company, but individual journalists... Peter, this is twisted." | On Thursday Gawker's Mr Denton said in the letter to Mr Thiel: "This vindictive decade-long campaign is quite out of proportion to the hurt you claim. Your plaintiff's lawyer, Charles Harder, has sued not just the company, but individual journalists... Peter, this is twisted." |
"Now you show yourself as a thin-skinned billionaire who, despite all the success and public recognition that a person could dream of, seethes over criticism and plots behind the scenes to tie up his opponents in litigation he can afford better than they." | "Now you show yourself as a thin-skinned billionaire who, despite all the success and public recognition that a person could dream of, seethes over criticism and plots behind the scenes to tie up his opponents in litigation he can afford better than they." |
But Mr Thiel told the New York Times: "It's less about revenge and more about specific deterrence... I saw Gawker pioneer a unique and incredibly damaging way of getting attention by bullying people even when there was no connection with the public interest." | But Mr Thiel told the New York Times: "It's less about revenge and more about specific deterrence... I saw Gawker pioneer a unique and incredibly damaging way of getting attention by bullying people even when there was no connection with the public interest." |
David Folkenflik, a media correspondent for US National Public Radio, said the lawsuit seemed designed to cause the company to collapse. | David Folkenflik, a media correspondent for US National Public Radio, said the lawsuit seemed designed to cause the company to collapse. |
"The lawsuit... $140m could take it down. It appears as though the lawsuits were designed in such a way to achieve that," Mr Folkenflik told the Today programme. | "The lawsuit... $140m could take it down. It appears as though the lawsuits were designed in such a way to achieve that," Mr Folkenflik told the Today programme. |
He said certain parts of the lawsuit were dropped because they could have resulted in a payout from Gawker's insurance companies, with the result that Gawker "would have to pay for it out of pocket." | He said certain parts of the lawsuit were dropped because they could have resulted in a payout from Gawker's insurance companies, with the result that Gawker "would have to pay for it out of pocket." |
Analysis | |
Tom Espiner, BBC Business reporter | |
There's another facet to this story: Mr Thiel is a director at Facebook, and the company is trying to persuade media organisations to host their content on its website. | |
It needs companies to provide content - usually for free - to give people more reasons to visit Facebook, so it can sell advertising. | |
But news organisations tend to feel quite strongly about freedom of speech - they are generally for it - after all, it is their stock-in-trade, and central to their own business models. | |
So for Facebook, it might not play too well to the crowd that one of its directors funded a lawsuit against Gawker Media. A move some have interpreted as an attack on free expression. | |
Facebook has an AGM coming up towards the end of June, and some investors may be interested to know how it will handle the issue. | |
However, Mr Thiel is one of its big investors, so any real action against him by Facebook would be very surprising. | |
Mr Thiel backed a privacy case against Gawker brought by ex-professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, who won $140m damages after Gawker published a sex tape. Gawker intends to appeal. | Mr Thiel backed a privacy case against Gawker brought by ex-professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, who won $140m damages after Gawker published a sex tape. Gawker intends to appeal. |
The video was put up online in 2012 after Mr Hogan, whose given name is Terry Bollea, was secretly filmed having sex with his friend's wife. | The video was put up online in 2012 after Mr Hogan, whose given name is Terry Bollea, was secretly filmed having sex with his friend's wife. |
Mr Hogan's legal team successfully argued Gawker had violated his privacy and the video was not newsworthy. | Mr Hogan's legal team successfully argued Gawker had violated his privacy and the video was not newsworthy. |
Nick Denton was ordered to pay $10m, and the journalist who posted the video and wrote the accompanying article, AJ Daulerio, must pay $100,000. | Nick Denton was ordered to pay $10m, and the journalist who posted the video and wrote the accompanying article, AJ Daulerio, must pay $100,000. |
The closely-watched case raised questions about freedom of the press in the digital age. | The closely-watched case raised questions about freedom of the press in the digital age. |