Jack Nicklaus has been awarded $50 million in damages after winning a defamation lawsuit against Nicklaus Companies, the firm that once managed his brand and business interests.
The 85-year-old accused the company, owned by billionaire American banker Howard Milstein, of falsely claiming he was suffering from dementia and mentally unfit to handle his own affairs.
The lawsuit also addressed accusations that Nicklaus had engaged in talks with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league over a $750 million deal to become its public face, claims he denied.
On Monday, a Florida jury unanimously sided with Nicklaus, concluding that the statements made by Nicklaus Companies harmed his reputation and subjected him to “ridicule, hatred, mistrust, distrust, and contempt.”
Back in 2007, Nicklaus Companies paid the 18-time major champion $145 million for exclusive rights to his golf course design services, along with rights to use his name, image, and likeness for marketing and branding.
Nicklaus stepped down from the company’s board in 2017 and formally left in 2022, triggering a five-year non-compete clause that barred him from designing courses.
LIV GOLF
After the non-compete expired in 2022, Nicklaus Companies sued him for breach of contract and began making damaging public claims regarding his mental health and alleged negotiations with LIV Golf.
“What mattered most was when the company told the world Jack was selling out the PGA Tour to Saudi golf, which was completely untrue,” said Nicklaus’s attorney, Eugene Stearns, in a statement to ESPN.
Addressing the claims about Nicklaus’s mental competence, Stearns added: “They said things like, ‘You need to have the keys taken away.’ We are pleased that Jack has been vindicated.”
According to court documents, Nicklaus never pursued any deal with LIV Golf. His only interaction came in 2021, when he met with Golf Saudi after being asked to design a course in the region.
He declined an offer to represent LIV Golf, citing his loyalty to the PGA Tour and the importance of preserving its legacy.
The jury also cleared Howard Milstein and Nicklaus Companies executive Andrew O’Brien of personal liability in the case.
Nicklaus retains the rights to his own name, image, and likeness, while Nicklaus Companies continues to own and market the trademarks it purchased, including the iconic “Golden Bear” name and logos, which it uses on clothing and golf equipment.
Jack Nicklaus designed signature courses in the UK include, St Mellion (Nicklaus), London Golf Club (Heritage), Carden Park (Nicklaus) Gleneagles (PGA Centenary)
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