Here’s How Much LIV Golf Paid Its Players—As The Saudis Yank Funding

Topline LIV Golf, backed by Saudi Arabia’s hefty Public Investment Fund, has paid out more than $3 billion to its players in tournament winnings, salaries and bonuses since its first tournament in 2022, according to calculations by Forbes, and that all seems about to come to an abrupt end. Jon Rahm at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 18, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Getty Images Key Facts LIV has paid out nearly $1.

36 billion in prize money and championship bonuses, after netting out the 60% share of team prize money that is retained to cover team operating expenses, and at least $1. 6 billion in guarantees and signing bonuses, according to Forbes estimates. By the end of this season, if it is played out as originally scheduled, the total prize money pool will hit $1.

59 billion and the total doled out will exceed $3. 2 billion. LIV spent lavishly at its inception on signing bonuses to lure several top golfers away from the PGA Tour, including reported estimates of $300 million for Spanish golfer Jon Rahm , $200 million for Phil Mickelson and $100 million for Brooks Koepka .

It also immediately started offering the largest tournament purses in golf history, setting a new standard with $25 million per event (and one $50 million event in the first year), which grew to $30 million in 2026. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is estimated to have poured $5 billion into LIV Golf since its inception but will no longer bankroll the circuit after the current season, which has seven more tournaments scheduled through the end of August. The league on Thursday announced several new board appointments and said it is focused on securing new investors, but sports analysts largely cast doubt on LIV Golf’s ability to survive without its Saudi founders.