+

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

Close
HomeQuizzoneWhatsappShare Flash Reads
 

Facebook is about to decide the fate of a board member who waged a secret legal war against a news site

Jun 20, 2016, 13:38 IST

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. Thiel argues that the United States and its leaders are on the wrong track regarding scientific innovation and that 'when tracked against the admittedly lofty hopes of the 1950s and 1960s, technological progress has fallen short in many domains.'Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

On June 10, Gawker Media filed for bankruptcy.

Advertisement

The media organisation has been brought low by a lawsuit by Hulk Hogan after its flagship title - the often-controversial Gawker - posted a sex tape of the former wrestler.

But behind the scenes, billionaire investor and Facebook board member Peter Thiel was secretly pulling the strings - bankrolling the case (as well as others like it) to the tune of $10 million (£6.9 million).

Complimentary Tech Event
Transform talent with learning that works
Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

When news of Thiel's involvement involvement in the case broke, there was immediate outrage, with some arguing that his involvement amounts to an assault on the free press, and a blueprint for censorship.

(Thiel, who began his decade-long crusade after an article in Gawker publicly discussed his sexuality, maintains his actions are justified - as do many others in Silicon Valley.)

Advertisement

There have also been calls for Mark Zuckerberg to throw Peter Thiel off the board of Facebook, given the 32-year-old CEO's frequent defences of freedom of expression, and Facebook's sometimes-fractious relationship with the media.

Today - Monday, June 20 - is Facebook's annual shareholders' meeting. The company's board members are up for reelection, and in reality, that means Zuckerberg - who has a majority of voting power - gets to decide who stays and who goes.

It doesn't look like we're about to see Thiel's departure, however. As Recode reports, chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg recently unambiguously told attendees at the Code Conference that he is staying on: "Peter [Thiel] did what he did on his own. Not as a board member."

We're about to find out if Mark Zuckerberg has changed his mind.

NOW WATCH: How to find Netflix's secret categories

Please enable Javascript to watch this video
Next Article