Peter Thiel secretly spent $10 million to destroy Gawker after they outed him as gay. He hired lawyers, funded Hulk Hogan's lawsuit, and never told anyone he was paying the bills. What's this strategy called?
Explanation
Thiel used third-party litigation funding - perfectly legal, completely devastating. Investors now fund lawsuits the same way they fund startups, hoping to cash in on big settlements or judgments. The...
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After Gawker's destruction, journalist Felix Salmon warned that Thiel created a _______ blueprint that any billionaire could copy to bankrupt _______ media organization through coordinated lawsuits.
Easyfill in_blanksYour local newspaper exposes corruption at a tech company. Suddenly they're hit with 8 expensive lawsuits from different plaintiffs. The editor suspects one wealthy person is funding all the cases. What's your move?
Easyscenario simulationThiel paid his guy $25,000 a month to plan Gawker's destruction. They considered hacking emails, bugging offices, and stealing phones before deciding to stick with lawsuits. What does this tell you about how billionaires handle bad press?
Easymultiple choice
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