LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil received a retention payment of nearly $6.4 million shortly before the circuit filed for bankruptcy protection, according to court records newly filed Thursday.
According to LIV Golf’s statement of financial affairs submitted to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of New Jersey, O’Neil received a retention bonus of $6.375 million on June 24, following a separate bonus of approximately $2.7 million on February 13.
Over the period from September 12, 2025, to August 28, 2026, O’Neil collected more than $13.6 million in payroll, bonuses, benefits, retention payments, and expense reimbursements, per court records.
Prior to the organization’s September 2025 dissolution, O’Neil’s predecessor, former commissioner Greg Norman, received over $9.4 million upon leaving, which included a settlement of approximately $5.8 million and a $3.6 million bonus.
Furthermore, the latest court filings indicate LIV Golf distributed roughly $15.6 million in retention payments to its top executives. Chief Financial Officer David Phillips received over $3.3 million, while Chief Legal Officer John Ruzich received approximately $2.6 million.
Separately, LIV Golf and its related entities voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 protection in September. The organization disclosed it possessed between $100 million and $500 million in assets alongside $500 million to $1 billion in liabilities.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael B. Kaplan subsequently permitted the league to enter into a restructuring plan with BC Partners, who may provide up to $300 million in financing for LIV Golf 2.0. This includes an initial $4 million loan to sustain operations during the Chapter 11 proceedings.
Recently, a LIV Golf attorney told Kaplan that the organization would have to make a decision by the end of the month regarding whether to proceed with LIV 2.0 or wind down operations.