Billy Mitchell Wins $237K in Defamation Suit Against YouTuber Karl Jobst

Arcade gaming legend Billy "King of Kong" Mitchell has successfully won a defamation lawsuit against Australian YouTuber Karl Jobst, securing nearly a quarter of a million dollars in damages. As reported by PC Gamer, Jobst, known for his content on competitive and speedrunning gaming, featured Mitchell in his video titled "The Biggest Conmen in Video Game History Strike Again!" which amassed 500,000 views. The court found that Jobst's video contained defamatory, inaccurate, and unsubstantiated claims against Mitchell.

Mitchell, famously known as the "King of Kong," had his Donkey Kong high scores removed from Twin Galaxies' leaderboards in 2018 amid allegations that he used a MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) instead of arcade cabinets to achieve records in games like Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong Jr., which is against the rules. After six years of defending his records, Mitchell successfully had his accolades reinstated in a "historical database" on Twin Galaxies' website, and his 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/Gett Images.

The defamation lawsuit Mitchell filed against Jobst was not related to the validity of his Donkey Kong scores but stemmed from claims in Jobst's 2021 video. The video allegedly implied that Mitchell's previous lawsuit against another YouTuber, Benjamin "Apollo Legend" Smith, led to Smith owing $1 million in damages and contributed to his suicide in 2020. It also suggested that Mitchell had expressed joy at the thought of Smith's death.

Following legal threats from Mitchell, Jobst edited the video, and Smith's brother confirmed that no money had been paid. Jobst acknowledged his loss on X/Twitter, clarifying that he did not accuse Mitchell of cheating and that his claims about Smith were based on incorrect information from multiple sources. He stated, "I lost. The judge found Billy to be a credible witness and believed his entire testimony... From that point on unfortunately there was really nothing that could have saved me. I will now obviously consider my options."

Expressing regret for disappointing his supporters, Jobst emphasized his commitment to repaying their support and his pride in standing up against 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 amount requested by Mitchell.

Mitchell's fame was cemented in the '80s when he achieved a perfect score in Pac-Man, and he gained further recognition through the 2007 documentary "King of Kong," which chronicled his rivalry with Steve Wiebe.