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 a 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 found that the video contained defamatory, inaccurate, and unsubstantiated claims about Mitchell.

In 2018, Mitchell's gaming titles were initially revoked after allegations surfaced that he used a MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) instead of arcade cabinets to achieve his high scores in games like Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong Jr., a practice against the rules. After a six-year battle, Mitchell successfully had his records reinstated in a "historical database" on the Twin Galaxies website, and his 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/Gett

The defamation lawsuit against Jobst was not related to the controversy surrounding Mitchell's Donkey Kong scores. Instead, Mitchell took legal action because Jobst's 2021 video suggested that Mitchell's previous lawsuit against YouTuber Benjamin "Apollo Legend" Smith resulted in Smith paying $1 million in damages and contributed to his suicide in 2020. The video also implied that Mitchell had expressed joy over Smith's death.

After Mitchell threatened legal action, Jobst edited the video, and it was later confirmed by Smith's brother that no money had been paid. Jobst admitted defeat on X/Twitter, stating, "I lost. 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 determination to continue fighting for his right to free expression, despite the setback. He was ordered 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 around $241,000.

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