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

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

Mitchell's gaming credentials were previously under scrutiny when his scores were removed from Twin Galaxies' leaderboards in 2018 due to allegations of using a MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) instead of arcade cabinets to achieve records in games like Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong Jr. After a six-year battle, Mitchell managed to have his records reinstated in a "historical database" on Twin Galaxies' site and also saw his high scores 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.

However, Mitchell's defamation lawsuit against Jobst was not related to the validity of his Donkey Kong scores. Instead, Mitchell alleged that Jobst's 2021 video falsely implied 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 tragic suicide in 2020. The video also reportedly suggested that Mitchell had taken pleasure in the thought of Smith's suicide.

Following legal threats from Mitchell, Jobst edited his video. Smith's brother later confirmed that no money had been paid. Jobst took to X/Twitter to acknowledge the court's decision, stating, "I lost. The judge found Billy to be a credible witness and believed his entire testimony," and clarified that he did not accuse Mitchell of cheating, but rather relied on incorrect information about Smith from multiple sources.

Jobst expressed his disappointment and commitment to his supporters, saying, "I will now obviously consider my options... 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 is renowned for achieving a perfect score in Pac-Man in the '80s and gained further fame through the 2007 documentary, King of Kong, which highlighted his rivalry with Steve Wiebe.