Hunter Biden wins $1.7M in defamation suit against former Overstock.com CEO

A federal judge on Friday awarded Hunter Biden $1.7 million in punitive damages in a defamation lawsuit he filed against former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne. Biden sued Byrne in 2023, accusing him of lying in an interview that Biden had sought a bribe from Iran's government in fall 2021. According to the lawsuit, Byrne falsely claimed that Biden, in exchange for an $800 million bribe, offered to have his father, then-President Joe Biden, unfreeze $8 billion in frozen Iranian assets and ensure the US would 'go easy' on Iran during nuclear talks.

U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson wrote that Byrne failed to provide evidence supporting his claims and that the court found 'ample evidence' that Byrne knew the story was false. Byrne failed to appear for the scheduled jury trial and fired his lead trial attorney, delaying proceedings. As a result, the judge entered a default judgment against Byrne.

Wilson awarded Biden $1 in nominal damages and $1.7 million in punitive damages. Additionally, Byrne was ordered to pay about $35,000 in court sanctions. Bryan Sullivan, an attorney for Biden, said the judgment is 'the floor, not the ceiling' of what Byrne owes for his conduct.

The ruling comes as Hunter Biden has been building an online following through social media and announced he will publish a series of essays on Substack. It also follows a pardon from his father for federal gun and tax charges.