Billy Mitchell Wins $237K in Defamation Suit Against YouTuber

Arcade gaming legend Billy "King of Kong" Mitchell has secured a significant victory in court, winning nearly a quarter of a million dollars in damages after successfully suing Australian YouTuber Karl Jobst for defamation. As reported by PC Gamer, Jobst, known for his content on competitive and speedrunning gaming, featured Mitchell in his video titled "The Biggest Conmen in Video Game History Strike Again!" The video, which garnered 500,000 views, was found by the court to contain defamatory, inaccurate, and unsubstantiated claims against Mitchell.

Mitchell's gaming legacy faced a major challenge in 2018 when his high scores were removed from Twin Galaxies' leaderboards due to allegations that he used a MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) instead of arcade cabinets to achieve records in games like Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong Jr., a practice prohibited by the rules. After a six-year battle, Mitchell managed to have his records reinstated as part of a "historical database" on Twin Galaxies' site, and his high scores were also recognized again by the Guinness World Records in 2020.

The defamation lawsuit against Jobst, however, was not related to the controversy over Mitchell's Donkey Kong scores. Instead, Mitchell took legal action because Jobst's 2021 video suggested that Mitchell's previous lawsuit against another YouTuber, Benjamin "Apollo Legend" Smith, led to Smith having to pay $1 million in damages and contributed to his tragic suicide in 2020. The video also implied that Mitchell had expressed pleasure at the thought of Smith's death. Following Mitchell's legal threat, Jobst edited the video, and Smith's brother later confirmed that no money had been paid.

Jobst admitted his loss on X/Twitter, explaining that the judge found Mitchell to be a credible witness and believed his testimony. Jobst emphasized that he did not accuse Mitchell of cheating and that his claims about Smith were based on incorrect information from multiple sources. He expressed regret and gratitude for the support he received, stating his intention to continue working hard to repay his supporters. Jobst also highlighted his pride in standing up to what he perceived as bullying and defending his right to free expression.

The judge ordered Jobst to pay $187,800 (AU$300,000) for non-economic loss, $31,300 (AU$50,000) for aggravated damages, and $22,000 (AU$34,668.50) in interest, totaling approximately $241,000. The judge noted that Mitchell might have been justified in receiving more than AU$50,000 in aggravated damages, but the amount awarded was what Mitchell had sought.

Mitchell, who achieved a perfect score in Pac-Man during the '80s, became widely recognized through the 2007 documentary "King of Kong," which chronicled his rivalry with Steve Wiebe.