Hogan received financial support from billionaire investor Peter Thiel, who had been outed by Gawker against his wishes. Gawker's publication of a sex tape featuring Hulk Hogan led Hogan to sue the company for invasion of privacy. Gawker came under scrutiny for posting videos, communications and other content that violated copyrights or the privacy of its owners, or was illegally obtained. Gawker Media also managed other blogs such as Jezebel, io9, Deadspin and Kotaku. Founded in 2003, Gawker was the flagship blog for Denton's Gawker Media.
The blog promoted itself as 'the source for daily Manhattan media news and gossip.' According to third-party web analytics provider SimilarWeb, the site had over 23 million visits per month as of 2015. Gawker is an American blog founded by Nick Denton and Elizabeth Spiers and based in New York City focusing on celebrities and the media industry.
