LIV's bankruptcy filings show $9.4 million paid to Greg Norman last year

LIV Golf paid former CEO Greg Norman $9.4 million on a single day in September 2025, according to financial schedules the league filed Thursday night, October 22, in its Chapter 11 case in New Jersey bankruptcy court. GOLF.com's review of the filing found a $5.8 million settlement and, on the same day, a $3.6 million bonus, roughly eight months after Norman was replaced as CEO.

The same documents put a number on what LIV paid to keep its leadership in place as the money ran out. Josh Carpenter and Flushing It, each reading the filings on Friday, said CEO Scott O'Neil received a retention payment of $6.375 million in late June 2026. Flushing It put that at 2.3 times his base pay.

LIV's first-day bankruptcy papers in September already described a retention plan for a limited group of key employees, paid in two rounds on or about June 23 and August 7, 2026, but they did not name anyone or give amounts. Thursday's schedules are where the names and figures surfaced.

What else the filings show

GOLF.com said the documents list quarterly payments of $4.946 million to Jon Rahm under his player contract, just short of $20 million a year. Carpenter added up Rahm's LIV payments over the last year at $26.5 million. Rahm has since signed a separation agreement that waives his remaining claims against the league, and a judge is set to rule on it November 5.

The two independent directors LIV brought in during April to oversee the restructuring, Eugene Davis and Jon Zinman, each earn $150,000 a month, per GOLF.com. The liabilities side runs from $13.46 owed to FedEx to millions owed to Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, with vendors including Uber ($89,407), ASCAP ($178,087.50) and SportsMEDIA Technology ($352,418.50, which LIV disputes). Many amounts, including what LIV may owe Phil Mickelson, are listed as undetermined.

Why it matters now

The filings landed two days before Sunday's October 25 deadline for LIV players to commit to the restructured "LIV 2.0," which will pay smaller purses and bar its players from the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. Golfweek's tracker now counts 12 players leaving, including Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Ian Poulter and Tom McKibbin, against four who have said they will stay.

For golf fans, the schedules are the clearest look yet at how LIV spent its money while vendors waited to be paid. Watch Sunday's deadline for the final roster count and the November 5 hearing on Rahm's exit.