Yeah, I read the article. It's dreck.
Gawker died because they were mismanaged into the ground and encouraged to be a pack of ambulance chasing vultures cashing in on violating people's privacy. It's a nasty cocktail unethical journalism and tabloid sensationalism that were the primary nails in the coffin.
Yes, they pissed off powerful people and got their asses handed to them. Yes, the case against them was funded by enemies they'd made. But this is not some shadowy billionaire destroying a private publication. They broke the law, and they were sued for it. That is the consequence of breaking the law.