eBay Settles $56 Million Lawsuit Over Harassment Campaign

The abuse began in August 2019, shortly after former eBay CEO Devin Wenig signaled for subordinates to "take down" Ina Steiner. What followed was a systematic effort to silence the couple through fear. Employees shipped fly larvae, spiders, a bloody pig mask, and a book on surviving the death of a spouse to the Steiners' Natick home. Beyond the mailings, the company orchestrated late-night disturbances by posting the couple’s address on Craigslist and dispatched personnel from California to Massachusetts to install a GPS tracker on the victims' vehicle.

Legal proceedings initiated in 2021 have now concluded with a substantial payout. The settlement mandates that eBay pay $48.7 million directly to the Steiners, while an additional $6 million is earmarked for charitable organizations. Wenig, for his part, will contribute $1 million to a free speech charity. In a formal statement, eBay acknowledged the behavior was reprehensible, conceding that the actions of its former executives were both unprofessional and entirely unacceptable.