Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. has filed a defamation lawsuit in New York federal court against Business Insider journalist Daniel Geiger and Insider, Inc., alleging they have waged a sustained campaign against him consisting of false reporting, harassment and racial bias. Mayweather claims the alleged defamnation has caused him over $100 million in damages. According to Mayweather's complaint, Geiger began targeting Mayweather in March 2025 with aggressive and intrusive reporting tactics related to the boxer’s real estate ventures, including affordable housing investments in New York. Mayweather’s legal team argues that Geiger published false and defamatory claims that questioned Mayweather’s ownership stake in a $400 million property deal. The suit asserts that Geiger ignored closing documents, refused multiple invitations to review records, and instead relied on anonymous sources with alleged personal grudges.
The lawsuit details not only the article’s claimed inaccuracies but also what Mayweather describes as a pattern of personal harassment. Between early and mid-March, he says Geiger made hundreds of phone calls—often late at night—to Mayweather’s business associates, friends, and family. In one instance, Geiger reportedly accused an advisor of being an “imposter” based on his voice, a claim later repeated in print.
Mayweather’s team also alleges that Geiger’s actions were driven by racial and political animus. The complaint points to disparaging remarks allegedly made by Geiger, including questioning how a “school-dropout boxer” could afford New York real estate, and expressing disbelief that someone would “work for a black guy in real estate.” Geiger’s public social media behavior and political views—specifically, his opposition to Donald Trump and criticism of Mayweather’s pro-Trump and pro-Israel stances—are cited as further evidence of bias and “actual malice.”
The Business Insider article at the center of the case, titled “Floyd Mayweather Jr. bragged about a $400 million property deal. There’s just one problem,” allegedly caused significant reputational and financial damage. Mayweather claims the article led to lost leases, delayed investments, and rent concessions—compounding losses and reducing the value of his portfolio by tens of millions.
The lawsuit brings three causes of action: defamation (libel), intentional infliction of emotional distress, and prima facie tort, and it seeks no less than $100 million in damages. Mayweather is also asking the court for punitive damages, a public retraction, an injunction against further harassment, and attorneys’ fees.
