Rick Shiels’ $1.4M LIV Golf Claim Takes Center Stage After Bankruptcy

Rick Shiels made a huge career move with LIV Golf in 2025, and now that decision has come back into focus. His company, Rick Shiels Media Limited, is listed as a creditor in LIV Golf's Chapter 11 filing, with $1,398,300 owed under a brand partnership agreement. The amount puts Shiels 16th among LIV's listed major creditors. It also means the YouTube golf star is waiting for money from the same league that brought heavy criticism when he joined it. LIV's financial troubles have now made that deal even more complicated.

Rick Shiels' $1.4M Claim Lands On LIV Golf's Creditor List

The number stands out because Shiels is not listed among LIV's players. His company appears on the bankruptcy filing under a “Brand Partnership Agreement.” The claim places Rick Shiels Media Limited above LIV players Caleb Surratt and Joaquin Niemann on the creditor list.

LIV's filing shows the wider problem. More than 24 creditors are owed at least $1 million, with Jon Rahm's claim at about $7.5 million. Bryson DeChambeau is owed around $5.7 million, while Dustin Johnson is listed at about $5.5 million. Shiels' claim is smaller, but it comes from a business deal that was meant to bring his content closer to LIV's biggest stars.

That partnership began in January 2025, when LIV announced Shiels as an ambassador and content creator. The deal gave him access to players, teams and courses for his videos. At the time, Shiels said, “Partnering with LIV Golf provides an incredible opportunity to take my content to the next level.” Now, that partnership is part of LIV's unpaid claims.

Rick Shiels' LIV Golf Move Faced Backlash Before The Money Trouble

The LIV deal was never going to pass quietly. Shiels had built his audience over 13 years, so many viewers had strong feelings when he joined the Saudi-backed league. Golf Monthly reported that he lost subscribers after the announcement, while Shiels admitted he knew criticism was coming.

He even prepared for it. Speaking to Golf Monthly, Shiels said, “The day before, I spent an afternoon writing down every negative comment someone could ever leave, literally pages and pages of negative comments.” He also explained that the access to top players was a major part of the decision.

Only months later, Shiels reached another huge milestone by becoming golf's first creator to pass one billion YouTube views. His wider media network has since crossed 1.1 billion views and 3.7 million subscribers. Yet while his audience keeps growing, his company is now waiting for a $1.4 million claim to be dealt with in LIV's bankruptcy case.

LIV has estimated liabilities between $500 million and $1 billion, against assets between $100 million and $500 million. The league also spent more than $5 billion since launching in 2022, while Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund confirmed in April that it would stop funding LIV after the 2026 season. Shiels' claim is just one part of a much bigger financial problem.