Coca-Cola heir told to pay $900m in sex assault case
The Independent|June 21, 2024
A billionaire heir to a Coca-Cola bottling fortune has been ordered to pay 900m 710m) in damages to a former employee in a landmark sexual assault case.
EMMA GUINNESS
Coca-Cola heir told to pay $900m in sex assault case

The Los Angeles court’s ruling 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 employee 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.”

This story is from the June 21, 2024 edition of The Independent.

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This story is from the June 21, 2024 edition of The Independent.

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