Who knew tweets and similar online postings could be so costly? Benjamin Wey, an embattled Wall Street guru and CEO, is finding out the hard way.
Wey, who already had lost a lawsuit presented against him by a former Swedish intern named Hanna Bouveng in 2014, had signed an agreement after the suit that he would pay Bouveng $10,000 for every tweet in which he insulted her or engaged in libel, and another $50,000 each time he tried to communicate with her.
It is important to note that Bouveng’s previous lawsuit, which alleged that Wey had pressured her into sex, threatening to fire her if she did not engage, awarded Bouveng with $5.6 million.
Bouveng’s lawyers allege that Wey had tweeted 59 times in a light that disparaged Bouveng, making for $590,000 in violations, and tried to reach out to her 26 times, which constitutes another $1.3 million in fines. The plaintiffs allege that an additional $510,000 in damages are based upon other postings made online.
This makes for damages totalling $2.4 million. Bouveng’s lawyers allege that she was called a “homewrecker”, “cocaine user”, and “failed extortionist” by Wey.
Other allegations include Wey posting suggestive material online, attempting to associate Bouveng with it, and Wey unexpectedly visiting Bouveng at a cafe in her native Sweden.
Wey has been entangled in other legal trouble as of late, which includes being arrested last year, having been charged with conspiracy, securities fraud, and wire fraud connected to a stock manipulation scheme.
