Jack Nicklaus Wins $50M Defamation Case Against Former Company, Clearing His Name Over LIV Golf Claims

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus has been awarded $50 million by a Florida jury in his defamation lawsuit against Nicklaus Companies, the business entity owned by billionaire banker Howard Milstein, according to ESPN.

The 85-year-old filed the lawsuit after Milstein and other company officials made statements in a separate New York case suggesting that Nicklaus had entertained a $750 million offer to represent the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League — claims Nicklaus said were entirely false and damaging to his reputation.

"It's always hard in a defamation case to prove damages to reputation, because in particular for a guy like Jack, it's always such a good one," Nicklaus’ attorney Eugene Stearns told ESPN. "But I think what was important was the dispute that arose 3½ years ago when the company told the world that Jack was selling out the PGA Tour for the Saudi golf, when it was not true. So, we're happy that Jack's been vindicated."

According to court filings, a Nicklaus Companies executive had asked Nicklaus to meet with Golf Saudi representatives in 2021 about designing a course in Saudi Arabia. During that discussion, Golf Saudi expressed interest in Nicklaus taking a leadership role with LIV Golf.

"According to Nicklaus, he had no interest in the offer and declined because he felt the PGA Tour was an important part of his legacy, and if the PGA was not in favor of a new league, he did not want to be involved," court documents stated.

Nicklaus also alleged that the company’s leadership spread claims questioning his mental fitness, suggesting he was no longer capable of managing his business affairs.

"What they said was, 'You need to have the keys taken away,'" Stearns told ESPN. "But the combination of all of that was unfortunate, and we're happy that this is all soon going to be behind Jack."

The Palm Beach Post reported that jurors found Nicklaus Companies had participated in the false publication of statements that damaged the 18-time major champion’s reputation, exposing him to “ridicule, hatred, mistrust, distrust or contempt.” However, the jury did not hold Milstein or company executive Andrew O’Brien personally liable.

Nicklaus Companies had previously paid the golf icon $145 million in 2007 for exclusive rights to his design services and marketing and branding rights. After resigning from the company in 2017, Nicklaus was bound by a five-year noncompete clause that barred him from designing courses independently. He stepped down from the company’s board in 2022.

Shortly after his departure, Nicklaus Companies sued him and his firm GBI Investors, alleging breach of contract and interference with company business. At the time, Nicklaus publicly denied the claims, saying:

“The claims made by Howard Milstein are untrue. Our relationship has been a difficult one, at best. I have little doubt about the outcome, but I don't intend to make this a public spectacle, if it can be avoided.”

In July 2024, a Florida arbitrator ruled that Nicklaus was no longer restricted by the noncompete clause, freeing him to resume his design work. Then, in April, a New York court ruled that Nicklaus had the right to use his own name, image, and likeness, while Nicklaus Companies retained ownership of its purchased trademarks and could continue selling products using the “Golden Bear” brand.

The latest verdict now marks a decisive victory for one of golf’s most revered figures — and a final chapter in a long, bitter legal battle.