Jack Nicklaus is the greatest golfer who ever played the game. Eighteen major titles. 73 PGA Tour wins. A career so dominant that Tiger Woods spent two decades trying to catch him.

The Deal That Changed Everything

In 2007, Nicklaus struck a deal worth $145 million to hand over his intellectual property and golf course design business to a company that would carry his name: Nicklaus Companies. The arrangement gave Nicklaus Companies the rights to license his name on clothing, equipment, and golf courses around the world. Nicklaus eventually resigned from the board in 2022 and planned to continue designing golf courses independently. That is when things turned hostile.

The Rumor That Cost $50 Million

Nicklaus claimed the company began spreading two stories to clients and media contacts. The first: that he had been seriously considering a $750 million offer to become the public face of LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed breakaway league that rivals the PGA Tour. The second story was more personal. Company executive Andrew O'Brien allegedly told others that Nicklaus, then 85 years old, was showing signs of dementia and could no longer manage his own affairs. According to attorneys, O'Brien said Nicklaus needed "his car keys taken away."

Nicklaus maintained that he had declined the LIV offer because the PGA Tour was central to his legacy - and that the dementia claim was false. His attorneys argued the company had arranged the meeting with Golf Saudi representatives in 2021, then used the encounter to suggest he had been chasing the deal himself.

The Verdict

The case went to a six-person jury in Palm Beach County, Florida. After four and a half hours of deliberation, the jury found that Nicklaus Companies had defamed him - exposing him to "ridicule, hatred, mistrust, distrust or contempt." The personal damages: $50 million. Executives Howard Milstein and Andrew O'Brien were cleared of personal liability, but the company itself was held responsible.

What It Means

The verdict came on October 20, 2025. Nicklaus issued a statement through attorney Eugene Stearns: "He deserved better than what he got, and we are pleased that the jury addressed the particular circumstances that were so annoying." Nicklaus Companies signaled potential appeals. The company still holds the trademark rights to the Jack Nicklaus name for licensing purposes - the litigation over who truly controls that legacy is far from over.

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