[thefactor]

tough call. evidently, he told letterman, "i'm giving you first crack at this. if you don't buy it for 2 million, i'll go to another company and sell it."

he was basically telling letterman, "gimme 2 mill or i go to the press."

[TChris]

I don't buy it.

Nobody is stupid enough to accept a CHECK for an extortion payoff, are they?

Something just isn't square in this story.

[justlurking]

tough call. evidently, he told letterman, "i'm giving you first crack at this. if you don't buy it for 2 million, i'll go to another company and sell it."

If he said that, then it probably meets the criteria for extortion. I don't know the exact law in New York, but I suspect that rises to the level of "threatening harm or embarrassment".