Billy Mitchell Wins $237K in 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 damages following a successful 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 500,000 views. The court ruled that Jobst's video contained inaccurate and unsubstantiated claims that defamed Mitchell.

Mitchell's reputation came under scrutiny in 2018 when his scores were removed from Twin Galaxies' leaderboards amid allegations that he used a MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) instead of arcade cabinets to achieve his records in games like Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong Jr., which violates the rules. After a six-year battle, Mitchell managed to have 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.

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

The defamation lawsuit against Jobst was not related to the legitimacy of Mitchell's Donkey Kong scores but rather focused on Jobst's 2021 video. Mitchell claimed the video suggested that his previous lawsuit against another YouTuber, Benjamin "Apollo Legend" Smith, led to Smith having to pay $1 million in damages and contributed to Smith's suicide in 2020. Additionally, the video allegedly implied that Mitchell had "expressed joy at the thought" of Smith's suicide.

After Mitchell threatened legal action, Jobst edited the video, and Smith's brother confirmed that no money had been paid. Jobst 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 "incorrect information from multiple sources."

Jobst expressed his regret and gratitude for the support he received, adding, "I am proud that I never backed down and never allowed a bully to control my 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.

Mitchell, who achieved a perfect score in Pac-Man in the '80s, gained widespread recognition through the 2007 documentary King of Kong, which highlighted his rivalry with Steve Wiebe.