Jack Nicklaus wins $50m verdict in defamation case over LIV Golf allegations
Jack Nicklaus, the 18-time major champion, has won a $50m verdict in a defamation case against his former company, bringing an end to one of golf’s most bitter business feuds.A jury in Palm Beach County, Florida, found that Nicklaus Companies – the firm he founded and later sold – defamed him by spreading false claims that he had considered a $750m offer to become a public face of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League and that he was no longer mentally fit to manage his business affairs.The six-person jury ruled that the company’s actions damaged the 85-year-old’s reputation and exposed him to “ridicule, hatred, mistrust, distrust or contempt”.The verdict came after four and a half hours of deliberation.Nicklaus embraced family and friends in the courtroom after the decision.
“We tremendously appreciate the time that the jury put into this case,” said his attorney, Eugene Stearns,“They were extraordinarily conscientious and dedicated, and we’re happy that Jack’s been vindicated,”The dispute dates back nearly two decades,In 2007, Nicklaus sold the rights to his name, image and golf course design business to Nicklaus Companies for $145m in a deal financed by billionaire banker Howard Milstein,After stepping down from an executive role in 2017, Nicklaus was bound by a five-year noncompete clause that prevented him from taking on new design projects.
When that restriction expired in 2022, the company sued him in New York, alleging that he had diverted business opportunities and secretly entertained talks with LIV Golf,Nicklaus responded with a defamation suit of his own, accusing Milstein and other executives of planting false stories that he had “sold out” the PGA Tour – an organization he considered central to his legacy – for Saudi money,According to court documents, a Nicklaus Companies official had arranged for him to meet with Golf Saudi representatives in 2021 to discuss course design work,During that meeting, Nicklaus said, he was asked to take a leadership role with LIV Golf but immediately declined because of the PGA Tour’s opposition to the breakaway league,The lawsuit also accused the company of circulating rumors that Nicklaus was suffering from dementia and could no longer handle his affairs.
“What they said was, ‘You need to have the keys taken away,’” Stearns told ESPN.“It was unfortunate, but Jack’s reputation has now been restored.”Lawyers for Nicklaus Companies argued that the case was simply a business dispute and that Nicklaus’s stature in the game remained untarnished.“His reputation is as stellar as it’s always been,” defense attorney Barry Postman told jurors.But the jury sided with Nicklaus, though Milstein and company executive Andrew O’Brien were cleared of personal liability.
The verdict follows a separate court ruling earlier this year in which a New York judge affirmed that Nicklaus is free to use his own name and likeness in future golf ventures, even as the company retains the rights to sell branded apparel and equipment,
Water firms in England could face harsher sewage fines under new Environment Agency powers
Water companies in England could face more, and automatic, fines for sewage dumping under new Environment Agency powers.The government is consulting on allowing the regulator to use a lower, civil, standard of proof instead of the higher criminal standard, for minor to moderate environmental offences.Other measures under consultation include setting a cap at either £350,000 or £500,000 for penalties issued to the civil standard, introducing new automatic penalties – like a speeding ticket – for specific and obvious breaches without the need for lengthy investigations, and setting a value of either £10,000, £15,000 or £20,000 for the new automatic penalty.Currently, investigations into pollution can take years and fewer than 1% have resulted in a prosecution.Regulators have been forced to be lenient to water companies which have been fined for illegally dumping sewage but are in dire financial straits
Gold on track for biggest one-day fall since 2020; BoE governor warns over private credit risks - as it happened
Back in the precious metals market, gold is on track for its biggest one-day fall in over a year.Bullion has dropped by over 4% so far today to $4,175 per ounce, as a blistering rally that reached a series of fresh record highs fades.That would be its biggest one-day fall since 9 November 2020, the day when Pfizer and BioNTech announced that their Covid-19 vaccine was 90% effective in trials, triggering a surge into shares.Gold has been a traditional safe-haven away from risky assets, and has also benefited from the ‘debasement trade’ where investors move out of fiat currencies and into harder assets.Daniela Sabin Hathorn, senior market analyst at capital
ChatGPT Atlas: OpenAI launches web browser centered around its chatbot
OpenAI on Tuesday launched an AI-powered web browser built around its marquee chatbot.“Meet our new browser—ChatGPT Atlas,” a tweet from the company read.The browser is designed to provide a more personalized web experience and includes a ChatGPT sidebar that enables users to asks questions about or engage with various aspects of each website they visit, as demonstrated in a video posted alongside the announcement. Atlas is now available globally on Apple’s Mac operating system and will soon be made available on Windows, iOS and Android, according to OpenAI’s announcement.Meet our new browser—ChatGPT Atlas
‘Significant exposure’: Amazon Web Services outage exposed UK state’s £1.7bn reliance on tech giant
Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy beamed as he met Keir Starmer in Downing Street’s garden to announce £40bn of UK investments in June. Starmer was equally effusive, gushing: “This deal shows that our plan for change is working –bringing in investment, driving growth, and putting more money in people’s pockets.”Four months later, and the tech company was left scrambling to fix a devastating global outage on Monday that left thousands of businesses in limbo – and shed light on the UK government’s reliance on its cloud computing business, Amazon Web Services (AWS).Figures compiled for the Guardian hint at the British state’s increasing reliance on the services of the giant US internet group, which has also drawn criticism from unions and politicians about working conditions within its logistics and internet retailing business.AWS has won 189 UK government contracts worth £1
Jets owner outlines hopes for team: ‘If we can complete a pass, it would look good’
New York Jets owner Woody Johnson has outlined modest ambitions for his winless team as he backed his head coach, Aaron Glenn.The Jets are 0-7 this season and have been awful in almost every department. Speaking about the team’s play on Tuesday, Johnson said: “If we can just complete a pass, it would look good.”However, he was quick to praise Glenn, who is in his first season as an NFL head coach. “I do believe in Aaron,” Johnson said
Amy Jones and England cannot avoid Ashes’ shadow over Australia rematch
Amy Jones has claimed that January’s Ashes whitewash “hasn’t been a topic of discussion” before Wednesday’s World Cup clash between England and Australia. If you believe that, you will believe anything.Both teams have qualified for the semi-finals, so it could be argued that little will be at stake in Indore. That would be wrong. First, given the run of results in this World Cup, these sides are almost certain to finish first and second and therefore avoid a semi-final against each other – which means this game could well be a precursor to the final in Navi Mumbai on 2 November
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