Golf legend reveals N2.3 billion in gambling losses in four years
Mickelson was a relief defendant in 2016 in the insider trading case that sent noted gambler Billy Walters to prison.
Federal auditors investigating Phil Mickelson’s role in an insider trading scheme found his gambling losses totaled more than $40m from 2010 to 2014, according to an excerpt from Alan Shipnuck’s forthcoming biography.
Shipnuck posted the excerpt on his Firepit Collective site Thursday. His unauthorized biography on Mickelson is to be released on May 17 during the PGA Championship. Mickelson is the defending champion. He has not said if he will be playing.
Mickelson has been out of public view since the final round of the Saudi International on February 6. A short time later, Shipnuck posted explosive comments from Mickelson on his involvement in Greg Norman’s Saudi-backed golf venture.
Mickelson dismissed Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, including the killing of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi, by saying it was worth getting involved with the Saudis if it meant gaining leverage to get what he wanted from the PGA Tour.
Mickelson was a relief defendant in 2016 in the insider trading case that sent noted gambler Billy Walters to prison.
Walters since has been released and has said he is writing a book.
In the most recent excerpt on the $40m in gambling losses, Shipnuck wrote that government auditors investigated Mickelson’s finances over four years from 2010 to 2014. The author cited a source with direct access to the documents.
Mickelson’s annual income in 2012 – the time of the Dean Foods stock deal that netted Mickelson nearly $1m in one week – was estimated at about $48m.
