Nick Ciarelli got some dough? Really?!

Nicholas Ciarelli, Owner and Editor of popular rumors site Think Secret, may have gotten some cash in his settlement with Apple, MacRumors Reports:

The L.A. Times cites sources in-the-know that claim that ThinkSecret’s Nick Ciarelli did indeed receive some amount of monetary compensation from Apple as part of their final settlement.
[Ciarelli] also received a payment from Apple, according to a person familiar with the case. Both sides declined to discuss details of the agreement.

[Ciarelli] also received a payment from Apple, according to a person familiar with the case. Both sides declined to discuss details of the agreement.

There has been a tremendous amount of speculation that this may have been the case, but no real confirmation.

Here’s what I’m wondering: how is this not obvious?? Ciarelli was still going fairly strong when he announced that he would shut down to move on to “greater journalistic pursuits.” So after a 3 year old lawsuit, he’ll just up and shut down for no reason other than that he suddenly wants to “move on?” It’s not like he was working his rear off there anyway. Posts came weeks apart. It is clear that Apple gave him some sort of incentive to leave, and unless they provided him with a lifetime supply of any Apple product he wanted (I’d want in!), they gave him money. And probably quite a bit.

Think Secret shut down last week with a statement that they were closing down as part of an amicable settlement with Apple over their 3 year feud about Think Secret spilling trade secrets.