Why did Paypal founder Peter Thiel back Hulk Hogan to sue Gawker?

The billionaire co-founder of Paypal Peter Thiel has admitted that he funded the wrestler Hulk Hogan's successful lawsuit against the online news site Gawker.

The wrestler sued Gawker after it published a private video of the star on its website.

David Folkenflik, a media correspondent for US National Public Radio, told the BBC's Today programme how a long-standing animosity might have motivated Mr Thiel.

The lawsuit, he said, appeared designed to take the company down. "This is an existential threat for Gawker," he told Sarah Montague.