LIV CEO Made $13M During PIF Exit

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October 27, 2026

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This summer, as LIV Golf scrambled to replace the Saudi PIF as an investor, seven top executives received retention payments totaling more than $15 million, according to bankruptcy documents filed last week. In August, with the league headed toward Chapter 11 bankruptcy and vendors suing over unpaid bills, CEO Scott O’Neil said he hoped the league could pay the contractors. O’Neil’s own retention payment, received June 24, was for $6.375 million.

—David Rumsey

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LIV Execs, Stars Paid Millions During PIF’s Funding Exit, per Court Docs

Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

More staggering numbers have been revealed in LIV Golf’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, showcasing how much money some of the league’s top executives were paid earlier this year amid the Saudi PIF ending its funding and many vendors and contractors not getting paid.

According to bankruptcy documents filed late Thursday, LIV CEO Scott O’Neil received a $6.375 million “retention payment” on June 24, which came during the league’s 47-day summer break and just over two weeks after Front Office Sports reported LIV may not have enough funding to complete its season as planned. O’Neil had received a $2.68 million bonus on Feb. 13. His biweekly payroll allotment was $107,345.42. In total, he was paid $13.67 million from Sept. 12, 2025, through Aug. 28, 2026.

Six other LIV executives received retention payments on either June 24 or Aug. 7:

David Phillips, chief financial officer: $3.36 million
John Ruzich, chief legal officer: $2.61 million
Chris Heck, president of business operations: $1.31 million
Jennifer Frieman, global chief people officer: $1.04 million
Katie O’Reilly, EVP and head of team business operations: $555,801
Ilana Finley, chief communications officer: $331,531

When asked about unpaid vendors on Aug. 19, O’Neil said LIV was “doing everything we can to make sure we can do right by them and the work they committed, and I hope we can.”

Meanwhile, Jon Zinman and Eugene Davis, LIV’s independent board directors hired in April, were each paid $750,250 in $150,000 installments through July 31.

Former LIV CEO Greg Norman, who was replaced by O’Neil in January 2025 but didn’t officially leave the league until August 2025, was paid $9.41 million on Sept. 26, 2025, in the form of a $5.81 million settlement and a $3.6 million bonus.

Top Players Paid Big, Too

Jon Rahm was paid $26.64 million by LIV in the past year, mostly via four quarterly player participation agreement payments of just over $4.94 million each, as well as prize money. Rahm reached a settlement with LIV earlier this month in which he forfeited all future payments he was owed.

Bryson DeChambeau was paid $13.86 million during that time frame; his quarterly PPA payment was just over $2.16 million. Dustin Johnson was paid $10.73 million. Cam Smith and Bubba Watson received single PPA payments of $2.33 million on Jan. 30.

Resilience at Full Throttle

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ONE BIG FIG

Ohio Expansion

Courtesy of Columbus NWSL 2028

$50 million

That’s the expected price tag for a training facility to be built for Columbus’s NWSL expansion team. The team released renderings of “the best-in-industry facility” on Monday ahead of groundbreaking this week. Owned by the Haslam Sports Group, which also owns the Browns and MLS’s Columbus Crew, the team is scheduled to begin play in 2028 and will share ScottsMiracle-Gro Field with the Crew.

HSG has already made a sizable investment in the franchise, paying $205 million to join the fast-growing league as its 18th team. The NWSL finished the 2025 season—its 12th—with 14 clubs, then added the Boston Legacy and Denver Summit for 2026. Atlanta City FC—which paid just a $165 million expansion fee a few months before Columbus—will also join in 2028. Commissioner Jessica Berman has already detailed plans to get to 20 teams.

DAILY SPORTS TRIVIA

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Doubles Troubles

Marko Djurica-Reuters

“These proposals would destroy careers, livelihoods, and dreams.”

—A letter signed by more than 137 current and 28 retired men’s doubles players asking the ATP Tour to pull proposed cuts to tournament draws and prize money starting in 2028. The ATP’s plan would reduce doubles draws at Masters 1000 events from 32 teams to just 16. Some smaller events would feature just eight teams. Doubles participants would also get 10% of tournament prize money instead of 20%, with the rest going to singles players. While the ATP says the changes are about commercial sustainability, the players say “fairness, player welfare and the long-term health of tennis matter just as much.” The ATP board is set to vote on the proposals in November.

Don’t Miss a Moment of the WNBA Finals

The WNBA Finals is full of storylines heading into the final games. The league has moved Game 6 between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries to 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, allowing Atlanta to host a potential championship-clinching game at the 17,000-seat State Farm Arena.

From scheduling changes to the latest developments on the court, get the full story on everything happening in the WNBA Finals in the Women’s Sports Hub, presented by AT&T.

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Question of the Day

Do you think LIV executives should not have received retention payments?

YES

Monday’s result: 65% of respondents thought the WNBA should shake up its Finals schedule to ensure a larger venue for Game 6 in Atlanta.

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