Billionaire investor Peter Thiel may have to open his books to Gawker Media's bankrupt estate after a judge yesterday said that Gawker had shown "good cause" for additional discovery in a years-long legal battle, Forbes.com reported. The decision is a win for the now-defunct Gawker, which was forced into bankruptcy last summer in the wake of an invasion of privacy lawsuit brought by former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan and funded by Thiel. Gawker's estate is currently considering a separate lawsuit against Thiel for his role in bankrolling the Hogan case. While the company's protracted bankruptcy winds down, lawyers for its estate still want answers to basic questions about Thiel's involvement, including when he became involved in funding litigation against Gawker and how much money he's spent doing so. Yesterday’s decision by Bankruptcy Judge <b>Stuart Bernstein</b> did not allow for discovery immediately, but rather directs lawyers for both sides to agree on a narrowed scope of the inquiry in advance. If that doesn't happen, Judge Bernstein will likely have to issue another ruling on the matter this summer.
