A Los Angeles court has ordered Alki David, a former heir to a Coca-Cola bottling fortune, to pay a staggering $900 million in damages to a former employee who accused him of sexual assault.
The lawsuit, filed by a woman identified only as Jane Doe, detailed a three-year period of alleged harassment and assault at the hands of David.
Doe, who initially worked as a model for David’s companies, claimed the abuse began in 2016 during a work trip to his private island. She further alleged that after a brief layoff, David pressured her back into his employ at his cannabis company in 2018. It was here, according to the lawsuit, that the abuse escalated, culminating in a forced sexual encounter under the guise of sampling a product.
The lawsuit also painted a disturbing picture of the work environment at David’s companies, describing it as ‘alarmingly hostile’. Allegations included a room nicknamed ‘The Rape Room’ and a pornographic image displayed on the HR department door.
This hefty verdict isn’t the first time David has faced such allegations. In 2019, he was already on trial for a separate sexual assault case and was ultimately ordered to pay $58 million to the victim. Multiple other ex-employees have come forward with similar stories of unwanted advances and retaliation for rejection.
