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

Arcade gaming legend Billy "King of Kong" Mitchell has secured a significant legal victory, winning nearly a quarter of a million dollars in damages from Australian YouTuber Karl Jobst. This ruling comes after Jobst's video, "The Biggest Conmen in Video Game History Strike Again!", was deemed defamatory by the court. The video, which garnered 500,000 views, contained claims about Mitchell that were found to be inaccurate and unsubstantiated.

Mitchell's journey has been fraught with controversy. In 2018, his iconic scores were removed from Twin Galaxies' leaderboards amid allegations that he used MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) instead of arcade cabinets to achieve records in games like Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong Jr. After a six-year battle, Mitchell successfully had his records reinstated in a "historical database" on Twin Galaxies' website and by the Guinness World of Records in 2020.

The defamation lawsuit against Jobst, however, was not about the validity of Mitchell's Donkey Kong scores. Instead, it centered on Jobst's video, which Mitchell claimed falsely implied that his previous lawsuit against YouTuber Benjamin "Apollo Legend" Smith led to Smith paying $1 million in damages and contributed to his suicide in 2020. The video also reportedly suggested Mitchell had expressed joy over Smith's death.

Following legal threats from Mitchell, Jobst edited the video, and Smith's brother confirmed that no money was paid. Jobst took to X/Twitter to acknowledge his loss, stating 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.

"I lost. The judge found Billy to be a credible witness and believed his entire testimony," Jobst stated, adding, "From that point on unfortunately there was really nothing that could have saved me. I will now obviously consider my options."

Jobst expressed regret to his supporters and vowed to work hard to repay their support. He also proudly declared, "I am proud that I never backed down and never allowed a bully to control my free expression."

The court ordered Jobst to pay 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 approximately $241,000. The judge noted that Mitchell could have been justified in seeking more than AU$50,000 in aggravated damages, but awarded the amount requested.

Mitchell's fame stems from his perfect score in Pac-Man during the '80s and was further cemented by the 2007 documentary, "King of Kong," which highlighted his rivalry with Steve Wiebe.