Jury awards Nicklaus $50M in defamation suit over LIV allegations

A Palm Beach County jury on Monday awarded golf legend Jack Nicklaus $50 million in a defamation suit, concluding that Nicklaus Companies had spread false and damaging claims that harmed the 85-year-old's reputation. The six-person jury found the company had published untrue statements tying Nicklaus to secret negotiations with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league and suggesting he was not mentally fit to manage his affairs, the jury verdict said.

The lawsuit, filed in 2023, focused on a 2022 leak that alleged Nicklaus had met with Saudi backers and considered a roughly $750 million role as an ambassador for LIV Golf. Nicklaus has consistently said the meeting was a courtesy related to golf course design work and that he declined any role with the breakaway league. His attorneys argued the company circulated false stories that Tarnished his legacy and subjected him to ridicule and mistrust.

The trial lasted more than two weeks and the jury deliberated about four and a half hours before returning the verdict. The jury did not find billionaire banker Howard Milstein, the executive chairman of Nicklaus Companies, or company executive Andrew OBrien personally liable. After the decision,...