Conspiracy

Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue

By: Ryan Holiday

Narrated by: Ryan Holiday

In 2016, one of the giants of modern journalism fell: Gawker Media, infamous for saying what other outlets wouldn't say, was sued for publishing Hulk Hogan's sex tape, lost the case and went bust. After countless other lawsuits it seemed that Gawker had finally run out of luck. But luck had nothing to do with it.

Peter Thiel, PayPal founder and billionaire investor, had masterminded the whole thing. Still furious at an article that had outed him 10 years previously, and increasingly disgusted at Gawker's unscrupulous reporting methods, Thiel had spent nearly a decade meticulously plotting a conspiracy that would lead to the demise of Gawker and its founder, Nick Denton. After a multiyear proxy war through the Florida legal system, the settlement of $140 million in favour of Hogan ended it. The verdict would stun the world, and so would Peter's ultimate unmasking as the man who had set it all in motion. Why had he done this? How had no one discovered it? What would this mean - for free speech? For privacy? For culture?

In Holiday's masterful telling of this nearly unbelievable conspiracy, informed by exclusive interviews with all the key players, this case transcends the narrative of how one billionaire took down a media empire or the current state of the free press. It's a study in power, strategy, and one of the most wildly ambitious - and successful - secret plots in recent memory.

©2018 Ryan Holiday (P)2018 Penguin Audio

Much to think about, but much unsaid

The best thing about this book is that it will make you think about a lot of issues. The story at its core is quite fascinating, and I appreciated the historical connections made by the author. I think that Holiday's "Tell 'em what you are going to tell 'em, tell 'em, and tell 'em what you told 'em" style detracted from the story: Michael Lewis would have made it more compelling. The book troubled me in the days after I read it, for the things it did not say. First, the book is a very sad commentary on the US "Justice" System, which seems to be more a complex auction than a tool of justice.
The more troubling aspect is that Holiday seems to have been captured by his subject Thiel. He clearly spent some time with Thiel and did not regain the distance to be objective. Holiday barely seems to note that Thiel wants to avenge his loss of privacy, while leading a company that seeks to violate everyone's privacy. Indeed, the real difference between Gawker and Thiel is that Gawker made their discoveries public, while Thiel sells your secrets to the rich and powerful. The recent scandals about Facebook show Thiel's DNA in that company's approach to user's data as well. Finally, Holiday seems too struck with Thiel's intellectual depth to point out that his fondness for Ayn Rand does not comport with that view.

Great insight

Book examined the inner workings on the entire Gawker trial. Because Holiday worked with all the parties, it gave an in-depth look into the whole case from start to finish. Great book.

A balanced tale of patience, perseverance and pride

Holiday strikes the perfect tone of inquiry and investigation as he details Peter Thiel’s ten year takedown of Nick Denton and the Gawker empire. His story examines both sides of each man’s hubris and arrogance. With personal access to Thiel and Denton, Holiday steps us through a decade of bad behavior that results in a remarkable lack appreciation for the nature of consequences.

An easy listen and a compelling story for our times.

Amazing

The story by itself is incredibly compelling but Ryan Holiday masterfully weaves the strategy and philosophy behind conspiracies into the story.

Interesting book, recommended despite voice acting

Interesting story that will make you think hard who is right and who is a bad guy.

But me holidays narration is abysmal. Monotonous and badly paced like he is reading it for the first time and sometimes has to stitch in the rest of the sentence. Next time maybe hire a profesional VA.

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

The story was interesting. The book could have been half the size. A lot of filler.

Great story

Any additional comments?

It's a great piece of research but the author should not be reading his own books. Very distracting.

Ryan Holiday's reading style ruined the book for m

He pauses in the middle of sentences. Difficult to listen because of this. I enjoyed the story though and the insiggt into Peter Thiel's thinking.

Wow!!

Great book detailing the underground war that took down the outrageous yet feared celebrity blog site Gawker. Ryan Holiday masterfully weaves together an intriguing tale with modern and ancient parallels!

Ryan Holiday takes an interesting story and makes it about him and draws it out

The story is fantastic, the characters are great but the writing is waffling. Full of repetition.

The narration is like this.

He wanted. To receive. The news. But on this. Day. The news. Was not. To be. Found.

Frustrating to listen to.