Phil Mickelson’s gambling losses have been highlighted in an excerpt from a forthcoming biography.
While Mickelson was being investigated for his alleged role in an insider trading scheme, federal auditors just happened to discover his gambling losses totaled more than $40 million from 2010 to 2014, according to the book excerpt from Alan Shipnuck.
“According to a source with direct access to the documents, Mickelson had gambling losses totaling more than $40 million in the four-year period (2010–14) that was scrutinized. In those prime earning years, his income was estimated to be just north of $40 million a year. That’s an obscene amount of money, but once he paid his taxes (including the California tariffs he publicly railed against), he was left with, what, low-20s?
Then he had to cover his plane and mansion(s), plus his agent, caddie, pilots, chef, personal trainer, swing coaches and sundry others. Throw in all the other expenses of a big life—like an actual T. Rex skull for a birthday present—and that leaves, what, $10 million?
Per the government audit, that’s roughly how much Mickelson averaged in annual gambling losses. (And we don’t know what we don’t know.) In other words, it’s quite possible he was barely breaking even, or maybe even in the red. And Mickelson’s income dropped considerably during his winless years from 2014 to ’17.”
The book also highlighted that Mickelson went winless on tour from July 2013 to March 2018.
The book also said Mickelson’s split with longtime caddie Jim Mackay in 2017 was largely about money and that Mickelson owed the caddie thousands of dollars in back pay.
Mickelson has been out of public view since the final round of the Saudi International on Feb. 6th. The six-time major champion called the Saudi partners “scary,” citing the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Mickelson’s agent said he has asked the PGA Tour for a conflicting event release to play in the first LIV Golf Invitational series to be held June 9-11 outside London.
