A case of Bitcoin Billions
The estate of David Kleiman appealed on Friday a lawsuit involving ownership of bitcoins worth billions of dollars that concluded in December with a Florida jury finding in favor of defendant Craig Wright on all but one of seven charges, Reuters reported.
Wright was charged with one count of improper use of money in connection with the previous joint venture of Kleiman and Wright, W&K Info Defense Research, which was granted $100 million. A March final verdict increased that amount by $43 million.
The Jury’s Decision
Nonetheless, the jury determined that Kleiman was not a co-founder of bitcoin, which Wright says he developed, and hence was not entitled to as much as $47 billion in bitcoin holdings.
The lawsuit did not seek to determine who invented Bitcoin, just whether Kleiman and Wright collaborated on the project.
Since 2018, Wright has been embroiled in a court struggle with the estate of his dead partner.
While Wright recognized Kleiman as a regular collaborator and friend, he maintained that his role in the invention of Bitcoin was insufficient to form a commercial partnership.
According to Reuters, Kleiman’s estate is appealing a March final decision granting the partnership $143 million in total and “all antecedent orders” to the final judgment.
“I won the first time and fully anticipate to win again,” Wright said in a statement on Friday.
Reuters reported that Kleiman’s lawyers did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Kleiman v. Wright, No. 9:18-cv-80176, United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
