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 after a court ruled that Australian YouTuber Karl Jobst defamed him. 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 500,000 views. The court determined that Jobst's video contained defamatory, inaccurate, and unsubstantiated claims about Mitchell.

Mitchell's gaming credentials faced scrutiny in 2018 when his scores were removed from Twin Galaxies' leaderboards due to allegations that he used a MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) rather than 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 accolades reinstated as part of a "historical database" on Twin Galaxies' website, and his high scores were also reinstated by the Guinness World Records in 2020.

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

Mitchell's defamation lawsuit against Jobst was not about the validity of his Donkey Kong scores but centered on claims made in Jobst's 2021 video. Mitchell alleged that Jobst's video suggested his prior lawsuit against YouTuber Benjamin "Apollo Legend" Smith resulted in Smith paying $1 million in damages and contributed to Smith's suicide in 2020. Additionally, the video reportedly implied that Mitchell had expressed joy at the thought of Smith's suicide. Following legal threats from Mitchell, Jobst edited the video, and Smith's brother confirmed that no money had been paid.

Jobst admitted defeat on X/Twitter, stating that the judge found Mitchell 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 "incorrect information from multiple sources." Jobst expressed regret and gratitude for the support he received, emphasizing his commitment to repay those who supported him. He also took pride in standing up against 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 around $241,000. The judge noted that Mitchell could have been justified in seeking more than AU$50,000 in aggravated damages but awarded the requested amount.

Mitchell gained fame for achieving a perfect score in Pac-Man in the '80s and later rose to prominence through the 2007 documentary, King of Kong, which chronicled his rivalry with Steve Wiebe.