LIV Golf bankruptcy filing reveals league owes $1.4 million to YouTuber Rick Shiels
One YouTuber has been caught up in the Saudi Public Investment Fund's (PIF) departure from LIV Golf, as the bankruptcy protection filing reveals how the company owes Rick Shiels as much as $1.4 million amid numerous other debts.
LIV Golf originally began back in 2022 with the backing of the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund, with PIF estimated to have spent more than $6 billion in total on the competition since its launch, as per Front Office Sports.
It has been clouded with controversy for a number of years now, with many detractors alleging that it's a sportswashing vehicle from Saudi Arabia in an attempt to clean their image, as associations of corruption and human rights abuses continue to follow the Gulf nation.
These accusations were also directed towards Newcastle United, with PIF taking over the football club in October 2021 — yet unlike Newcastle, Saudi Arabian investment in LIV Golf is set to be no more following the conclusion of the 2026 season.
LIV Golf files for bankruptcy protection amid PIF departure
PIF officially withdrew funding for LIV Golf back in April 2026 as many golf fans were concerned that investment would be cut, and the company has now officially filed a Chapter 11 petition – otherwise referred to as bankruptcy protection – this month.
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This comes after LIV Golf has found a new investor, with BC Partners picking up control over the breakaway league after Saudi Arabia stepped away, and it claims that the filing is necessary to "preserve the company's business," as reported by the BBC.
The new filing appears to initiate talks between LIV Golf and players regarding their participation in the league – which is expected to recommence at some point next year – but golfers are reportedly under no obligation to continue their attendance, even if they have previously signed multi-year contracts with the league.
Looming over the company too, however, are a number of large unsecured claims with at least 30 individuals owed significant multi-million-dollar figures from LIV Golf from the period of Q3 2026 alone.
Rick Shiels among those owed millions by LIV Golf
As shared by Dexerto, among these star-studded names is Rick Shiels, who has made a name for himself as one of the biggest golf content creators on YouTube — and one that controversially signed a deal with LIV Golf to become an ambassador for the league back in May 2025.
Some fans disagreed with his decision to the point where they stopped watching his videos altogether, yet the financial package he received – or at least, was supposed to receive – was seemingly significant if the bankruptcy protection filing is anything to go by.
According to the filing, Shiels is owed roughly $1.4 million from LIV Golf for his ambassadorial role, which places him 16th highest on the list and above even several of the league's contracted golfers when it comes to money owed.
This indicates that the 'brand media partnership' that Shiels struck up with LIV Golf was for an incredibly handsome fee, as if that related sole to Q3 figures, you could presume that this extrapolates to beyond $5.6 million annually.