A billionaire heir to a Coca-Cola bottling fortune has been ordered to pay $900m in damages to a former employee in a landmark sexual assault case . The Los Angeles court’s ruling on Monday is believed to be the highest amount ever given in compensation to a victim of an alleged crime of this nature. Cypriot-British businessman Alkiviades David , 56, is alleged to have raped his former staffer in a string of increasingly aggressive assaults that took place between February 2016 to April 2019.
Although an heir to the Coca-Cola fortune, David is successful in his own right and made his money through Hologram USA, which brought famous artists including Michael Jackson back to life in hologram form. Throughout proceedings, the court heard several shocking claims about the businessman including the use of a pornographic image that was captioned “HER-ASS” on his company’s HR department’s door. His behaviour was allegedly so prolific that his office became known as the “rape room” among staff.
The prosecuting lawyer Gary Dordick said: “This monumental verdict marks a significant triumph for justice and sets a precedent in the fight against workplace sexual assault.” The woman, known as Jane Doe, was subject to “severe sexual harassment and assault, including rape” from the businessman, according to her lawyer. According to the lawsuit, the woman was warned of her employer’s “alarmingly hostile” actions towards women when another female employee claimed he.
