The term 'proxy lawsuit' is completely valid. It means he's bankrolling a lawsuit someone else is pursuing in absence of the ability to sue for what he really w

The term 'proxy lawsuit' is completely valid. It means he's bankrolling a lawsuit someone else is pursuing in absence of the ability to sue for what he really wants to. The EFF, ACLU, and NRDC bankroll lawsuits because they are trying to actively set precedent for other cases. Thiel backed this because he has a personal vendetta against Gawker, but he knew that his own lawsuit wouldn't succeed because it's not illegal to out a person as gay. Similarly, when the US supplies rebels in central america against their country because they know they have no legal grounds for waging war against that country, it's a proxy war.