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Posted: 2016-06-02T17:51:10Z | Updated: 2016-06-02T17:59:09Z

Tech billionaire Peter Thiel didn't accept an invitation to debate his archnemesis, Gawker's Nick Denton, during a conference put on by another tech blog.

Denton, Gawker's CEO, showed up Wednesday to talk with Recode's Kara Swisher, but a red chair reserved for Thiel remained empty during their conversation.

We invited Peter Thiel to debate @nicknotned, but for now, an empty chair will do. #codecon pic.twitter.com/9mYk8J3IXm

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We invited Peter Thiel to debate @nicknotned , but for now, an empty chair will do. #codecon pic.twitter.com/9mYk8J3IXm

Dan Frommer (@fromedome) June 2, 2016

Thiel is openly at war with Denton after secretly funding lawsuits by Hulk Hogan and unnamed others against Gawker and its related sites.

The bad blood dates to a 2007 article that outed Thiel as gay.

Recode said Thiel, who co-founded PayPal and is on the board of Facebook , never responded to its invitation to debate Denton.

Without the drama of a face-to-face showdown with Thiel, Denton explained why Gawkers mission is to target elites in places like New York, Hollywood and Silicon Valley, Thiels home base.

"A Silicon Valley billionaire is a hundred times, a thousand times more powerful than the average congressman, yet receives less scrutiny, Denton said.

Thiel reportedly pumped $10 million into Hogans lawsuit against Gawker for posting a video of the pro wrestler having sex with a friends wife. A jury awarded Hogan $140 million, an amount that if upheld would threaten Gawkers ability to stay in business.

Swisher asked Denton if Gawker will declare bankruptcy. He said he believes the company will prevail during the appeal.

We're looking at all possible outcomes. We have a bunch of hearings to go, Denton said.

Thiel, in his quest to ruin Gawker, told The New York Times that hes funded other suits against the media company but declined to identify them.

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Denton criticized Thiels motives for attacking Gawker.

"Make it about the issue rather than about a personal vendetta, he said.

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Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?

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