Miami — Professional golf legend Jack Nicklaus has won a $50 million verdict in a defamation lawsuit filed in Florida against his former business partners.

A six-person jury in Palm Beach County found Monday that the Nicklaus Companies had damaged the 18-time major champion's reputation and exposed him to ridicule, hatred, mistrust, distrust or contempt. Nicklaus Companies owner and executive chairman Howard Milstein and executive Andrew O'Brien were also named individually as defendants, but jurors didn't find them personally liable.

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus speaks during the trophy ceremony after the final round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday on June 1, 2025, at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. Brian Spurlock / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Eugene St

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