What Does Gawker Do?

Total employees34
HeadquartersNew York
Founded2002

Gawker Media was an American digital media company founded by Nick Denton in 2002. It rose to prominence through a network of influential and often controversial blogs including Gawker.com, Deadspin, Jezebel, Gizmodo, Kotaku, and Lifehacker. Known for its aggressive news gathering, snarky tone, and willingness to publish challenging content, Gawker Media significantly shaped early 21st-century online journalism and blog culture. The company faced numerous legal battles, culminating in an invasion of privacy lawsuit filed by Hulk Hogan, which led to a $140 million judgment against the company. Gawker Media filed for bankruptcy in June 2016 and its assets (excluding Gawker.com itself, which was shut down) were acquired by Univision Communications in August 2016 for $135 million, later becoming part of Gizmodo Media Group (now G/O Media).

Where Is Gawker's Headquarters?

HQ Function

Served as the central hub for editorial operations, business development, advertising sales, and technology management for its network of blogs.

Notable Features:

Typically open-plan office spaces, fostering a collaborative and high-energy environment. Known more for functionality and a bustling newsroom atmosphere than for luxurious appointments.

Work Culture:

Characterized by a fast-paced, aggressive, and often pressure-cooker environment. It encouraged journalistic boundary-pushing and fostered a strong, albeit sometimes combative, sense of camaraderie and creative output.

HQ Significance:

These offices were the epicenter from which Gawker Media launched its influential blogs, broke major (and controversial) stories, and cultivated its distinctive voice that challenged traditional media.

Values Reflected in HQ: The unpolished and functional nature of its offices could be seen as reflecting its journalistic ethos: direct, unvarnished, and prioritizing content and impact over superficial appearances.

Location:

While its core operations and editorial leadership were based in New York City, Gawker Media had a notable global footprint. This included a key technology development office in Budapest, Hungary, crucial for its Kinja platform, and smaller editorial/sales outposts in countries like the UK. Its content was consumed globally, giving it an international audience and influence.

Street Address:

210 Elizabeth Street (One of its notable locations; also later at 116 University Place)

City:

New York

State/Province:

NY

Country:

USA

Where Else Does Gawker Operate Around the World?

Budapest, Hungary

Address: Paulay Ede utca (General area, specific address varied)

Leveraged tech talent in Central Europe to build and support the company's content management system and site infrastructure.

London, United Kingdom

Address: Various co-working or small office spaces

Expanded editorial reach into the UK and European markets, and supported regional advertising sales efforts.

Buying Intent Signals for Gawker

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Who's Leading Gawker? Meet the Executive Team

As of April 2025, Gawker' leadership includes:

Nick Denton - Founder & CEO
Heather Dietrick - President and General Counsel
Andrew Gorenstein - President, Advertising & Partnerships / Chief Revenue Officer
Tom Plunkett - Chief Technology Officer
Tommy Craggs - Executive Editor (Gawker Media, resigned 2015)
Lacey Donohue - Editor-in-Chief, Jezebel (Representing editorial leadership)

Who's Investing in Gawker?

Gawker has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

Nick Denton (Founder, primary initial funder)
Columbus Nova Technology Partners (Provided debt financing, became a significant creditor during bankruptcy)

What Leadership Changes Has Gawker Seen Recently?

Hire0
Exits2

Gawker Media's final years were marked by legal battles rather than typical executive turnover. Key leadership remained to navigate the crisis. The most significant 'exits' occurred with the company's bankruptcy and sale in August 2016, effectively dissolving the existing Gawker Media executive structure. Some editorial leadership changes, like the resignation of Tommy Craggs and Max Read in 2015 over editorial disputes, were notable.

Departures

Tommy Craggs, Resigned due to editorial disputes.
Max Read, Resigned due to editorial disputes.
Nick Denton, Role ceased with Gawker Media's bankruptcy and asset sale.
Heather Dietrick, Role ceased with Gawker Media's asset sale.

What Technology (Tech Stack) Is Used byGawker?

Discover the tools Gawker uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

Gawker Email Formats and Examples

Gawker Media historically used standard corporate email address formats. The most common patterns involved combinations of an employee's first name, last name, or initials, followed by the @gawker.com domain. Some variations might have used @gawker.media.

[first_initial][last]@gawker.com OR [first].[last]@gawker.com OR [first]@gawker.com

Format

ndenton@gawker.com

Example

70%

Success rate

What's the Latest News About Gawker?

The New York TimesAugust 18, 2016

Gawker.com, the Scandal Sheet That Transformed Media, Is Closing

Announces the imminent shutdown of Gawker.com following Gawker Media's asset sale to Univision, reflecting on its 14-year controversial and influential run that reshaped online journalism....more

The Wall Street JournalJune 10, 2016

Gawker Media Files for Bankruptcy Protection

Reports Gawker Media's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, triggered by the $140 million judgment in the Hulk Hogan invasion-of-privacy lawsuit. The company stated it would proceed with a court-supervised auction of its assets....more

ReutersMarch 18, 2016

Hulk Hogan wins $115 million total in Gawker sex tape suit

Details the Florida jury's decision to award Terry Bollea (Hulk Hogan) an additional $25 million in punitive damages, bringing the total judgment against Gawker Media to $140.1 million for publishing a sex tape....more

CNN BusinessAugust 16, 2016

Univision buys Gawker Media for $135 million

Reports that Univision Holdings won the auction to acquire Gawker Media's assets for $135 million, outbidding Ziff Davis. The sale included sites like Gizmodo, Jezebel, and Deadspin, but not Gawker.com, which was slated for closure....more

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