Document Type
Article
Publication Title
New York Dispute Resolution Lawyer
Publication Date
2017
Volume
10(1)
First Page
7
Abstract
(Excerpt)
The discussion about the $140 million jury verdict against Gawker media for posting a sex video of Terry Bollea, professionally known as Hulk Hogan, having sex with his best friend’s wife, quickly shifted to a conversation about the ethics of litigation funding when it was finally disclosed that Peter Thiel had funded Bollea’s litigation. The backstory reveals that Gawker outed Thiel, revealing his homosexuality ten years earlier in a more conservative time when such a revelation might have impacted Thiel’s earning capacity. Thiel, an icon in Silicone Valley and a co-founder of PayPal, promised revenge. Thiel got his revenge, and Gawker is now bankrupt.
Comments
Reprinted with permission from the New York State Bar Association.