Tech Billionaire Peter Thiel Versus Gawker Media

05:59

May 26, 2016

PayPal co-founder and former CEO Peter Thiel speaks about his National Review article, "The End of the Future," during a discussion sponsored by e21, a conservative think tank, and the Manhattan Institute at the National Press Club October 3, 2011 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The tech billionaire Peter Thiel told the New York Times that funding a court battle against Gawker Media is "one of my greater philanthropic things that I've done." The Silicon Valley investor has revealed that he paid some $10 million in legal fees for professional wrestler Hulk Hogan's lawsuit against Gawker.

Thiel has called a Gawker publication "the Silicon Valley equivalent of Al Qaeda," and says driving the company out of business would be a public service. But he's refusing to specify which other legal cases he's funding behind the scenes.

Here & Now's Robin Young talks with NPR's David Folkenflik about what the billionaire's secret battles might mean for media companies.

Guest

David Folkenflik, media correspondent at NPR. He tweets @davidfolkenflik.

This segment aired on May 26, 2016.