How much must Alex Jones pay Sandy Hook families in total counting every lawsuit?
A failed bid to cut the amount he is to be forced to pay in a defamation verdict leaves him staring down a financial barrel.
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has failed to cut one of the big lawsuits against him by tens of millions of dollars after Judge Maya Guerra Gamble rejected arguments that a Texas state law prevented Jones from needing to pay the full amount.
His lawyers argued that state law caps non-economic punitive damages, which would have represented $45 million of the $50 million payout. Lawyers for the plaintiffs argued that the cap does not apply due to a section relating to intentional abuse of a disabled person, saying trauma over their son’s death counted as a disability.
“Our clients are pleased that the jury’s verdict was upheld in totality and my remaining clients look forward to closing out this vile chapter of American history by continuing to hold Mr Jones accountable,” Heslin and Lewis’ attorney, Mark Bankston, told Reuters after the hearing on Tuesday.
The combined value of both of the lawsuits against Alex Jones are around $1 billion. That includes the $50 million lawsuit that was under review here as well as the staggering $965 million litigation ruling against Jones from other parents.
How will Jones be able to pay these lawsuits?
While it is unlikely that Jones will ever be able to pay the full amount to all the families, his estimated personal worth which was revealed during the trial to be between $70 million and $270 million. Jones and his companies were making more than $50 million a year between 2016 and 2021 due to his immense social media presence.
“We can’t put a finger on what he does for a living,” said financial expert Bernard Pettingill during the Austin trial. “He didn’t ride a wave – he created a wave.”
In the Connecticut trial another financial expert testified that Jones and his company are worth around $270 million, a figure Jones has disputed.