Billy Mitchell Wins $237K in Defamation Suit Against YouTuber

Arcade legend Billy "King of Kong" Mitchell has been awarded approximately $241,000 in a defamation lawsuit against Australian YouTuber Karl Jobst, following a court ruling that found Jobst’s 2021 video contained false and damaging claims about Mitchell.

As reported by PC Gamer, the video in question, titled *"The Biggest Conmen in Video Game History Strike Again!"* and viewed over 500,000 times, made several unsubstantiated allegations linking Mitchell to the tragic death of fellow YouTuber Benjamin "Apollo Legend" Smith in 2020. Specifically, the video implied that Mitchell’s prior legal action against Smith resulted in a $1 million damages payout and suggested Mitchell had expressed satisfaction over Smith’s suicide—claims that were later proven false.

While Mitchell’s gaming legacy has faced scrutiny in the past, this case was not about the validity of his high scores. In 2018, Twin Galaxies removed Mitchell’s records from its leaderboards after allegations he used MAME emulators instead of original arcade hardware to achieve scores in classics like *Donkey Kong*, *Pac-Man*, and *Donkey Kong Jr.*—a violation of competitive rules. However, after years of legal and public debate, Mitchell successfully had his achievements restored as part of a historical archive on Twin Galaxies, and his records were also reinstated by Guinness World Records in 2020.

The defamation ruling focused solely on Jobst’s misleading narrative around Smith’s death. Following threats of legal action, Jobst edited the video, and Smith’s brother publicly confirmed that no financial settlement had occurred. In a statement on X/Twitter, Jobst admitted the court ruled against him, acknowledging Mitchell was deemed a credible witness and that his own claims were based on inaccurate information.

"I lost. The judge found Billy to be a credible witness and believed his entire testimony,"

Jobst wrote, adding he did not accuse Mitchell of cheating in the video. He expressed regret for the fallout, stating:

"I know many of you will be upset with this and I am sorry for that. Thank you again for all the support I have received and I will endeavor to work as hard as I can to repay all that you are owed. I am proud that I never backed down and never allowed a bully to control my free expression."

In its decision, the court ordered Jobst to pay AU$300,000 ($187,800 USD) for non-economic loss, AU$50,000 ($31,300 USD) in aggravated damages, and AU$34,668.50 ($22,000 USD) in interest—totaling roughly $241,000 USD. The judge noted that while higher aggravated damages could have been justified, the amount awarded reflected what Mitchell had requested.

Mitchell first gained widespread fame in the 1980s for achieving a perfect score in *Pac-Man* and later became a central figure in the 2007 documentary *The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters*, which chronicled his intense rivalry with Steve Wiebe for the title of world’s top *Donkey Kong* player.