So Judge Beth Bloom (S.D. Fla.) decided in today's O'Leary v. Armstrong, The defendant had earlier failed to defend himself, and had default judgment entered against him as to the falsity of his allegations. The findings of fact:
[Kevin] O'Leary is an internationally renowned entrepreneur, investor, and television commentator. He was the founder of The Learning Company, a company that sold software programs for math and reading. He sold The Learning Company to Mattel in the early 2000s and has been investing in hundreds of businesses since then in all 11 sectors of the economy. O'Leary later became widely known for his role on the television show, Shark Tank, where he and the other "Sharks" evaluate and invest in a range of emerging and start-up businesses. Around that same time, he started appearing on American television networks as a frequent contributor on "business affairs, policy, and technology." In addition to his investing activities and television work, O'Leary also serves as a keynote speaker for major financial institutions. O'Leary's social media presence spans 11.1 million followers, a substantial portion of whom are entrepreneurs.
O'Leary filed this action against Defendant Ben Armstrong—known publicly as "Bitboy Crypto"—for maliciously publishing defamatory falsehoods calling O'Leary a murderer and claiming O'Leary "paid millions to cover" up his role in a murder….
In 2019, O'Leary and his wife were involved in a boating accident in which their vessel struck another boat, resulting in two fatalities. O'Leary was not operating the boat at the time and was never charged with any violation of law. His wife, Linda O'Leary, was charged with careless operation of a vehicle. After a 13-day trial, she was exonerated after the court found the other vessel had been operating without its lights on.
