eBay and several former executives have agreed to a settlement of nearly $56 million with a Massachusetts couple, Ina and David Steiner, who were subjected to a bizarre harassment and stalking campaign. This settlement resolves a 2021 civil case filed by the Steiners, founders of the e-commerce industry newsletter EcommerceBytes, in Boston federal court.
The settlement includes $46.15 million paid directly by eBay to the couple. Former CEO Devin Wenig will pay $2 million, former senior vice president of operations Wendy Jones will pay $500,000, and former chief communications officer Steve Wymer will pay $50,000. Additionally, the agreement includes an extra $7 million in charitable donations to various nonprofit organizations, with eBay funding $6 million of this amount. The total settlement amount is $55.7 million.
The harassment campaign began in 2019 after then-CEO Devin Wenig reportedly texted Steve Wymer, stating it was time to "take her down," referring to Ina Steiner. Prosecutors alleged the campaign aimed to silence the Steiners after senior executives deemed their newsletter critical of eBay. The Steiners reported being subjected to cyberstalking, death threats, and in-person surveillance by former eBay workers, with items such as live insects, a bloody pig mask, a funereal wreath, and a book about surviving the death of a spouse being sent to their home. eBay itself was criminally charged and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement, also agreeing to pay a fine of $3 million.
As part of the agreement, eBay is required to issue a "strongly-worded" statement regarding the conduct of its former executives. The settlement brings to a close more than six years of criminal and civil proceedings stemming from the harassment, which the Steiners described as a conspiracy to "intimidate, threaten to kill, torture, terrorize, stalk and silence them" to stifle their reporting on eBay.
