Billy Mitchell Triumphs in $237K Defamation Suit Against YouTuber Karl Jobst

Arcade gaming legend Billy "King of Kong" Mitchell has been awarded nearly a quarter of a million dollars in a defamation lawsuit against Australian YouTuber Karl Jobst. As reported by PC Gamer, Jobst, known for his content on competitive and speedrunning gaming, featured Mitchell in a video titled "The Biggest Conmen in Video Game History Strike Again!" which garnered over 500,000 views. The court found that the video contained defamatory, inaccurate, and unsubstantiated claims about Mitchell.

Mitchell's gaming career faced a significant setback in 2018 when his scores were removed from Twin Galaxies' leaderboards due to allegations of using a MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) rather than arcade cabinets for his record-breaking performances in games like Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong Jr. After a six-year battle, Mitchell successfully had his accolades reinstated in a "historical database" on Twin Galaxies' website, and his high scores were also recognized again by the Guinness World Records in 2020.

However, Mitchell's defamation lawsuit against Jobst was not about the validity of his Donkey Kong scores. Instead, it focused on claims made in Jobst's 2021 video, which suggested that Mitchell's previous legal action against YouTuber Benjamin "Apollo Legend" Smith led to Smith owing $1 million in damages and contributed to his suicide in 2020. The video also implied that Mitchell took pleasure in Smith's death.

After Mitchell threatened legal action, Jobst edited the video, and Smith's brother confirmed that no monetary damages were paid. Jobst later took to X/Twitter to acknowledge his loss, stating, "The judge found Billy to be a credible witness and believed his entire testimony." He clarified that he did not accuse Mitchell of cheating and that his claims about Smith were based on misinformation from multiple sources.

Jobst expressed his regret and gratitude for the support he received, emphasizing his commitment to repaying his supporters and his pride in standing up against what he perceived as bullying. He announced his intention to explore further options following the ruling.

The judge awarded Mitchell $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 around $241,000. The judge noted that Mitchell could have been justified in seeking more than AU$50,000 in aggravated damages but adhered to the amount requested by Mitchell.

Mitchell gained fame in the arcade gaming community for achieving a perfect score in Pac-Man during the '80s and was further spotlighted in the 2007 documentary, King of Kong, which chronicled his rivalry with Steve Wiebe.