Gawker’s Rise, Fall, and the Billionaire-Backed Fallout That Redefined Online Media

The Hollywood Reporter revisits Gawker’s explosive run, detailing how Nick Denton built a fearless blog that helped shape modern online journalism, then watched it collapse after billionaire-backed lawsuits—most notably Peter Thiel’s funding of Hulk Hogan’s invasion-of-privacy case—led to bankruptcy and the sale of its assets; the piece also follows former staffers who parlayed that experience into Hollywood and major outlets, underscoring how billionaire influence and aggressive digital culture continue to shape today’s media landscape.