LIV Golf head faces $74,000,000 lawsuit for kidnapping on Saudi Crown Prince’s orders - Reports
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, chairman of PIF and influential for LIV Golf, has been charged with a $74 million lawsuit on reports of kidnapping. Reports suggest that he carried out instructions from the Saudi Crown Prince to execute the kidnapping which had "malicious intent" and was designed to harm and silence the family of an ex-intelligence person in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Rumayyan is the PIF leader but he's also the chairman of the Premier League team Newcastle United. With the PGA Tour merger coming, he's poised to be heavily involved there as well.
Joel Beall reported on X (formerly known as Twitter):
"The head of LIV Golf, and the man who the PGA Tour is trying to do business with, is accused of kidnapping on orders by his government."
All the kidnapping claims were made in legal papers that were sent to Al-Rumayyan at several high-profile locations this week. That includes St. James’ Park, the home stadium of Newcastle United in the English Premier League.
LIV Golf boss in trouble with alleged kidnapping
Yasir Al-Rumayyan was poised to become one of the biggest individuals in the sporting world. Already having Newcastle United and LIV Golf under his belt, he was about to make headway in the PGA Tour. Now, he could be facing legal trouble.
Prosecutors are aiming to add the LIV boss to an existing court case and file a claim against him. This claim will, if the court allows, allege that the defendants (Al-Rumayyan and others) were personally involved in a three-and-a-half-year time frame to pursue the family of Saad Al Jabri, who was an aide to Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. This allegedly took place from June 2017 to January 2021.
Bin Nayef was deposed as heir to the throne in 2017 after a palace coup and has been in holding for the last three years. The former intelligence officer who is bringing this case forward fled the country in 2017. He reportedly went to Turkey and then to Canada, where the case is now being brought forth.
It remains to be seen how and if this will impact the merger between the PGA Tour and PIF.