Billy 'The King of Kong' Mitchell Wins $237,000 in Defamation Lawsuit Victory Over YouTuber Karl Jobst

Arcade gamer Billy "King of Kong" Mitchell has won astir a 4th of a cardinal dollars successful damages aft a tribunal ruled Australian YouTuber Karl Jobst had defamed him.

As spotted by PC Gamer, Jobst — who specializes successful contented astir competitory and speedrunning gaming — included Mitchell successful a video entitled "The Biggest Conmen successful Video Game History Strike Again!" With 500,000 views, a tribunal agreed that Jobst's video defamed Mitchell and included inaccurate and unsubstantiated claims.

The King of Kong was initially stripped of his rubric successful 2018 aft his scores were scrubbed from Twin Galaxies' leaderboards pursuing claims the precocious people grounds holder had utilized a MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) and not arcade cabinets to unafraid his records successful games similar Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong Jr., which is strictly against the rules.

After six years of defending his records, Mitchell was aboriginal capable to person his accolades reinstated arsenic portion of a "historical database" connected Twin Galaxies' website, a tract that tracks competitory gaming records. His precocious scores were besides reinstated by the Guinness World of Records successful 2020.

Billy "King of Kong" Mitchell has won a defamation suit against Australian YouTuber Karl Jobst. Photo by David Greedy/Getty Images.

But Mitchell's defamation suit against Jobst was unrelated to the legitimacy of his Donkey Kong scores. Rather, Mitchell sued because, arsenic helium alleged, Jobst's 2021 video implied that Mitchell's anterior suit against different YouTuber, Benjamin "Apollo Legend" Smith, resulted successful the second having to wage retired $1m successful damages and contributed to Smith taking his ain beingness successful 2020. It besides reportedly suggested Mitchell had "expressed joyousness astatine the thought" of Smith's suicide.

Jobst aboriginal edited his video aft Mitchell threatened ineligible action, and Smith's member confirmed nary wealth had been paid.

"I lost. The justice recovered Billy to beryllium a credible witnesser and believed his full testimony," Jobst confirmed connected X/Twitter, stressing helium did not impeach Mitchell of cheating, and his claims astir Smith were formed by "incorrect accusation from aggregate sources."

"From that constituent connected unluckily determination was truly thing that could person saved me. I volition present evidently see my options.

"I cognize galore of you volition beryllium upset with this and I americium atrocious for that. Thank you again for each the enactment I person received and I volition endeavor to enactment arsenic hard arsenic I tin to repay each that you are owed.

"I americium arrogant that I ne'er backed down and ne'er allowed a bully to power my escaped expression," helium added successful a consequent update.

The justice ordered Jobst to wage $187,800 (AU$300,000) for damages for non-economic loss, $31,300 (AU$50,000) for aggravated damages, arsenic good arsenic $22,000 (AU$34,668.50) successful interest, totalling astir $241,000, saying: "[Mitchell] whitethorn good person been justified successful being ordered to wage much than AU$50,000 successful aggravated damages, but that is the magnitude being sought by Mr Mitchell and that is the magnitude I shall award."

Mitchell famously achieved a cleanable people successful Pac-Man successful the '80s, earlier rising to fame successful the 2007 documentary, King of Kong, which focused connected the rivalry betwixt Mitchell and Steve Wiebe.

Photo by David Greedy/Getty Images.

Vikki Blake is simply a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's besides a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her astatine BlueSky.