Karl Jobst Ordered to Pay AU$380000 in Billy Mitchell Lawsuit

An Australian court has ruled that YouTuber Karl Jobst must pay over AU$380,000 in damages to Billy Mitchell after making false claims in a 2021 video. The decision followed a defamation case centered not on Mitchell’s gaming records, but on allegations about a legal settlement and the death of another YouTuber.

Jobst, known for his content on speedrunning and gaming controversies, released a video titled The Biggest Conmen in Video Game History Strike Again! In it, he suggested that Mitchell had secured a financial settlement from Benjamin Smith—better known online as Apollo Legend—and that this led to Smith’s suicide in 2020. Jobst also stated that Mitchell had “expressed joy at the thought” of Smith’s death.

Mitchell, famous for his Donkey Kong high scores, sued Jobst over these claims. The court found that the settlement between Mitchell and Smith never included any financial payment. Instead, Smith had agreed to delete content about Mitchell, give Mitchell the copyright to those videos, and stop posting about him entirely. Violating that deal would have triggered a $25,000 penalty per breach.

Jobst had initially claimed that Smith owed Mitchell $1 million. He later edited the video after receiving legal warnings and learning from Smith’s brother that no money had been involved.

The court noted that over half a million people watched the video, including around 20,000 viewers in Australia. Many commenters accused Mitchell of murder, which the judge said showed how damaging the false claims were.

Judge Ken Barlow also criticized Jobst’s reaction to legal warnings. After receiving a concerns notice from Mitchell’s lawyers, Jobst tweeted that he found the situation “exciting” and called the case “an amazing experience.”

Jobst has now been ordered to pay AU$300,000 for non-economic loss, AU$50,000 for aggravated damages, and AU$34,668.50 in interest. Judge Barlow said Mitchell might have been entitled to even more for aggravated damages but had only asked for AU$50,000.

The case is one of many legal battles involving Mitchell, whose arcade records were removed from both Twin Galaxies and Guinness World Records in 2018 following cheating allegations. His scores have since been reinstated. One earlier case targeted Apollo Legend, who had produced several videos claiming Mitchell cheated in his Donkey Kong runs.

Mitchell has consistently denied any wrongdoing and continues to defend his legacy in court.