According to an excerpt in the upcoming biography from 2010 to 2014 Phil Mickelson, the US golfer had gambling losses of over $40m. At the moment, auditors are probing Phil Mickelson’s role in an insider trading case.
On Thursday, the excerpt was posted by Alan Shipnuck, the writer of the biography, to a website titled the "Firepit Collective". The book is titled: "Phil: The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorized!) Biography of Golf’s Most Colorful Superstar".
The insider trading case, Mickelson was a defendant in took place in 2016 and sent gambler Billy Walters to prison. Although Mickelson wasn't charged he repaid almost $1m made in the deal.
Citing a source with direct access to the documents Shipnuck wrote that the investigators involved in the case combed through Mickelson's finances over four years, from 2010 to 2014.
The excerpt referred to is as follows: "In those prime earning years, Mickelson’s income was estimated to be just north of $40 million a year," says Shipnuck. "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?"
The excerpt continues: "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."
Mickelson nor his management has made any mention of the excerpt or the accuracy of the biography itself.
Set to release on May 17, the biography will debut just two days before the PGA Championship, Mickelson is the defending champion.
