Gawker is appealing the judgment, but Thiel said in an op-ed for the New York Times on Monday that he will support Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, 'until his final victory.' Hogan was awarded $140.1 million by a Florida jury in March. Related: Peter Thiel feels no remorse over Gawker sale Thiel revealed in May that he provided financial support to Hogan's invasion of privacy lawsuit, which was prompted by 's 2012 publication of footage showing the wrestler having sex with his friend's wife. 'I don't think there's any better way for Isaac Lee and Univision to show that they believe in that than not allowing a vindictive billionaire to eradicate our site off the face of the earth,' Nolan added, referring to PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. 'I hope he demonstrates that by keeping open.' He has a reputation for a guy who very much buys into the idea of fearless journalism,' Nolan said. 'We've heard a lot about Isaac Lee's commitment to fearless journalism. Hamilton Nolan, the longest-serving writer at, said that Univision 'seemed like the best choice out of the options we had,' and he expressed happiness that the company agreed to pick up the union contract that Gawker Media employees successfully negotiated this year.īut Nolan also challenged Isaac Lee, Univision's chief news, digital and entertainment officer, to validate his reputation as a defender of 'fearless journalism.' The uncertainty surrounding has cast a pall over an acquisition that was otherwise greeted positively by Gawker Media employees. Related: Are Gawker and Hulk Hogan about to settle? 'I think we're all pretty pessimistic about the site existing,' the employee told CNNMoney.

In a meeting on Tuesday, Gawker Media executive editor John Cook assured anxious staffers that they will have a job at the company, be it at one of the other six sites or elsewhere at Univision, according to an employee who was present at the meeting.īut the employee said no one is bullish about 's future. Univision has until the closing of the deal in September to make its decision.īut neither scenario will necessarily result in layoffs. It could also 'mothball' the site, essentially acquiring the assets but leaving it dormant. Univision could opt to send back to the site's bankrupt LLC.

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