Billy Mitchell Wins $237K in Defamation Suit Against YouTuber

Arcade legend Billy "King of Kong" Mitchell secured nearly a quarter-million dollars in damages following a court verdict that determined Australian YouTuber Karl Jobst had defamed him. As noted by PC Gamer, Jobst, known for his content centered on competitive and speedrunning gaming, featured Mitchell in a video titled "The Biggest Conmen in Video Game History Strike Again!" The video amassed half a million views, yet the court agreed it contained inaccurate and unsupported claims, ruling in Mitchell's favor.

In 2018, Mitchell's Twin Galaxies' high-score titles were revoked after allegations surfaced 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., contrary to the rules. However, Mitchell later regained his accolades as part of a "historical database" on Twin Galaxies' site and had his scores reconfirmed by the Guinness World Records in 2020.

Billy "King of Kong" Mitchell triumphed in a defamation lawsuit against Karl Jobst. Photo by David Greedy/Getty Images.Mitchell's defamation suit wasn't about the legitimacy of his Donkey Kong scores. Instead, he sued because Jobst's 2021 video allegedly insinuated that Mitchell's previous litigation against YouTuber Benjamin "Apollo Legend" Smith led to Smith paying $1 million in damages and contributed to Smith's suicide in 2020. Additionally, the video reportedly suggested Mitchell took pleasure in Smith's death.

Following Mitchell's legal threat, Jobst altered his video. Smith's brother confirmed no settlement was made. "I lost. The judge found Billy to be a credible witness and believed his entire testimony," Jobst stated on X/Twitter, clarifying he did not accuse Mitchell of cheating and based his claims about Smith on misinformation from several sources.

"I am proud that I never backed down and never allowed a bully to control my free expression," Jobst added in a subsequent update.

The judge ordered Jobst to pay $187,800 (AU$300,000) for non-economic damages, $31,300 (AU$50,000) for aggravated damages, plus $22,000 (AU$34,668.50) in interest, totaling approximately $241,000. The judge remarked that Mitchell could have been awarded more in aggravated damages, but the amount requested by Mitchell was granted.

Mitchell gained fame for achieving a perfect Pac-Man score in the '80s and became widely recognized through the 2007 documentary, King of Kong, which spotlighted his rivalry with Steve Wiebe.