LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil received a $6.375 million retention payment less than three months before the embattled tour filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to court records reported by ESPN. The payment landed on June 24, 2026, as part of a wave of executive payouts uncovered in LIV’s bankruptcy filings.
LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil received $6.375M before bankruptcy filing (Credits: ESPN)
LIV Golf’s statement of financial affairs, filed Thursday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of New Jersey, shows O’Neil received the $6.375 million retention bonus after collecting a $2.7 million bonus on February 13. Between September 12, 2025, and August 28, 2026, O’Neil pulled in more than $13.6 million in payroll, bonuses, benefits, retention payments and expense reimbursements.
His predecessor fared well too: former commissioner Greg Norman was paid more than $9.4 million when he left the circuit in September 2025 — roughly $5.8 million in settlement plus a $3.6 million bonus. In total, LIV paid about $15.6 million in retention payments to top executives, including CFO David Phillips ($3.3 million) and chief legal officer John Ruzich ($2.6 million).
Inside the LIV Golf bankruptcy
LIV and its related entities voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 protection on September 8, listing between $100 million and $500 million in assets and $500 million to $1 billion in liabilities. The filing came after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund decided to end its financial backing, which had topped $5 billion since the league’s 2022 launch.
Judge Michael B. Kaplan has permitted the league to pursue a restructuring plan with BC Partners, which could provide up to $300 million in financing for a revived “LIV Golf 2.0” — including a $4 million initial loan to keep operations running during the bankruptcy process. A LIV attorney told the court last week that the league should know by the end of October whether it goes forward with LIV 2.0 or winds down entirely.
What the $6.3 million payment means
The timing of O’Neil’s June retention bonus — weeks before LIV postponed its New Orleans event and cancelled the Team Championship in Michigan — is certain to draw scrutiny. Player contracts were invalidated by the filing, with Jon Rahm the largest unsecured creditor at $7.47 million owed. Whether LIV 2.0 survives now depends on BC Partners’ financing and which stars stay on board.
Also Read: Ian Poulter Quits LIV Golf as Exodus of Big Names Continues
Source: ESPN — read the full story there.