Coca-Cola heir Alki David told to pay $900 million to employee who said he raped her.
An heir to a Coca-Cola bottling dynasty has been mandated to compensate millions in damages to a former employee who accused him of sexual misconduct.
A jury in Los Angeles unanimously decided that Greek billionaire Alki David must pay Jane Doe, as identified in her lawsuit, a staggering $900 million for allegedly harassing and assaulting her over a span of three years, according to her attorney Gary Dordick, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
“The details of this case are reprehensible. He assaulted my client during a separate trial,” Dordick said.
The alleged abuse began in February 2016 while the victim worked as a model for several of David’s enterprises, including Hologram USA, known for creating holographic images of deceased celebrities.
Jane Doe’s legal team described the workplace as extremely hostile, with one area nicknamed “The Rape Room” and a pornographic image labeled “HER-ASS” on the door of the human resources department.
Initially, David allegedly attempted to kiss her during a business trip to his private island in Greece, which she rebuffed, leading to an apology from him, according to the lawsuit.
Jane Doe was later laid off that year and did not have contact with him until 2018 when he invited her to join his team again as a brand ambassador at his cannabis company, Swiss-X.
After accepting the role, David purportedly invited her to his hotel room where she sampled what he claimed was a CBD product, leaving her feeling intoxicated and disoriented.
According to the lawsuit, the billionaire took advantage of her impaired state by masturbating in front of her and coercing her into sexual contact.
The abuse allegedly intensified the following year when David reportedly raped her in a small room during a business meeting with his Doberman pinscher present, according to the LA Times.
During this time, David was also on trial for allegedly forcing his pelvis against employee Mahim Khan’s face.
This marked the third instance in that year alone where David was ordered to compensate, including a $58 million verdict in favor of Khan for similar offenses.
Other employees have accused David of attempting unwanted advances or terminating them for rejecting his sexual propositions.
“This significant verdict represents a major victory for justice and establishes a precedent in combatting workplace sexual assault,” Dordick stated.
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