eBay to Pay $56 Million Settlement to Massachusetts Bloggers
eBay Inc. and three former senior executives have agreed to a settlement of roughly $55.7 million to resolve a civil lawsuit filed by David and Ina Steiner, the married founders of the e‑commerce newsletter EcommerceBytes. The agreement provides $46.15 million directly to the Steiners and allocates $6 million for charitable donations, including a $1 million contribution to a First Amendment‑rights foundation funded by former CEO Devin Wenig, who also pays $2 million to the couple.
The lawsuit stemmed from a retaliation campaign by eBay employees in 2019 after the couple published critical coverage of the company. Prosecutors say the campaign involved sending live insects, a blood‑stained pig mask, a funeral wreath and attempts to install a GPS tracker on the Steiners’ car, as well as in‑person surveillance. Seven former eBay employees pleaded guilty and received prison terms of up to 57 months. eBay itself was criminally charged and paid a $3 million fine in 2024. Wenig was not charged and has denied knowledge of the harassment. The company issued a public apology, calling the conduct “wrong, reprehensible and should never have happened.”
Entities: David Steiner · Devin Wenig · EcommerceBytes · Ina Steiner · Steve Wymer · eBay · eBay Inc.
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 9 SOURCES] Seven former eBay employees pleaded guilty and received prison sentences of up to 57 months. (convictions)
- [● 7 SOURCES] The settlement includes $46.15 million paid to the Steiners and $6 million in charitable contributions. (settlement_breakdown)
- [● 8 SOURCES] eBay and three former executives agreed to pay $55.7 million to settle the Steiners' lawsuit. (settlement)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Former CEO Devin Wenig texted chief communications officer Steve Wymer to “take her down,” referring to Ina Steiner. (origin of campaign)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Devin Wenig was not charged and has denied knowledge of the harassment campaign. (no_charges)
- [● 7 SOURCES] The harassment campaign involved sending insects, a bloody pig mask, and attempting to install a GPS tracker on the Steiners' vehicle. (campaign_details)
- [● 6 SOURCES] eBay was criminally charged and agreed in 2024 to pay a $3 million fine. (criminal_fine)
- [● 4 SOURCES] David and Ina Steiner are the founders of EcommerceBytes, a trade publication covering e‑commerce. (founders)
- [● 5 SOURCES] $46.15 million of the settlement will go directly to the bloggers. (payment to plaintiffs)
- [● 5 SOURCES] $6 million will be donated to nonprofit organizations. (settlement allocation)
- [● 5 SOURCES] eBay paid a $3 million fine in 2024 after a Massachusetts prosecutor’s investigation. (previous fine)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Seven former eBay employees were convicted for sending live cockroaches, a funeral wreath and a pork mask smeared with fake blood to the bloggers. (criminal convictions)