Gawker Media to Sell Flagship Site, Hulk Hogan to Receive 45 Percent of Proceeds

More than a year after shutting down, the domain name Gawker.com is for sale, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Advisers overseeing the Gawker Media LLC bankruptcy estate have started exploring possibly a possible sale of the flagship site, which will include the Gawker brand, domain name, social media accounts and all archived stories, the Journal wrote.

In addition, the paper wrote that Hulk Hogan — who won a defamation lawsuit against the site that sent its parent company into bankruptcy will receive 45 percent of the proceeds.

Also Read: First Amendment Under Attack? TheWrap's Sharon Waxman Weighs in With Panel of Experts (Video)

Last year, Univision purchased Gawker Media’s other brands, including Jezebel, Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, Jalopnik and Kotaku.

Univision paid $135 million but didn’t obtain Gawker.com, which had received a ton of negative press after Hogan successfully sued the site for releasing a portion of a sex tape that featured the former WWE star and was awarded $115 million.

Gawker Media settled with Hogan for $31 million and the wrestling legend is also entitled to 45 percent of any proceeds if Gawker.com is sold.

Also Read: First Amendment Under Attack? TheWrap's Sharon Waxman Weighs in With Panel of Experts (Video)

Dacarba LLC is seeking an investment bank to assist in the sale process. “We have begun the process of how to monetize the residual Gawker brand,” Dacarba managing director Will Holden told the Journal.

Billionaire Peter Thiel, who was once exposed as being a gay man by Gawker, famously funded Hogan’s lawsuit.

Hulk Hogan Timeline: From Hulkamania to Gawker Sex Tape Trial (Photos)

Hulk Hogan was born Terry Bolea and attended high school in Tampa, Fla.
Thomas Richard Robinson High School
Hogan broke into the wrestling business in the late 1970's, working under names like Terry Boulder.
WWE
Hogan and his 24-inch pythons ran wild when Hulkamania swept the globe in the 1980's.
WWE
Hogan shocked the world when he bodyslammed the 520-pound Andre the Giant at Wrestlemania III.
WWE
Hogan's movie debut was in "Rocky III" as Thunderlips, a wrestler Rocky takes on at a charity event.
MGM
Hogan later starred alongside Christopher Lloyd in "Suburban Commando," one of many critical and commercial bombs Hogan was involved in.
New Line
Hogan admitted to taking steroids while testifying during a federal trial against WWF owner Vince McMahon. Hogan denied McMahon supplied or forced him to take the steroids, resulting in McMahon's acquittal.
WWE
Hogan left WWF and competed in WCW from 1994 to 2000. While there, he teamed with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash to form the infamous New World Order.
WWE
Hogan returned to WWF in 2002 and faced off against The Rock at Wrestlemania X8.
WWE
Hogan starred in "Hogan Knows Best," a reality show with his family, from 2005 to 2007. The show was abruptly cancelled after Hogan's wife, Linda Claridge, filed for divorce when she discovered Hogan cheated on her during filming.
VH1
A few months prior to the divorce, Hogan was harshly criticized after his son was sent to jail for reckless driving that left a friend with irreversible brain damage. Tapes released by local police revealed Hogan and his son blaming the victim during a phone call and planning to capitalize on the crash with a reality TV deal.
Clearwater PD
Hogan moved to TNA Wrestling in 2010, immediately becoming a major character in the promotion. He returned to WWE in 2014.
TNA
A clip from a sex tape featuring Hogan and Heather Clem, ex-wife of Bubba The Love Sponge, is published on Gawker in October 2012.
Getty Images
After returning to WWF, now called WWE, in 2014, Hogan was fired in July 2015 after a racist rant from his sex tapes was released by the National Enquirer.
WWE
On March 7, the trial between Hogan and Gawker began. Hogan is suing Gawker for $100 million in damages, accusing the outlet of invasion of privacy.
AP
On March 18, Hogan was awarded $115 million (more than the amount he was seeking) after a ten-day trial and less than a day of deliberation by the jury.
Getty Images