Now Reading: Michael Johnson says loan, not secret pay, in Grand Slam Track collapse
-
01
Michael Johnson says loan, not secret pay, in Grand Slam Track collapse
Michael Johnson, the four-time Olympic champion, has clarified that a USD 500,000 payment he received days before his Grand Slam Track circuit collapsed was reimbursement for flights he put on his personal…
The Story in Brief
Michael Johnson, the four-time Olympic champion, has clarified that a USD 500,000 payment he received days before his Grand Slam Track circuit collapsed was reimbursement for flights he put on his personal credit card, not a secret payout. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Johnson said he also loaned the company USD 2 million and forwent his own salary. Sportstar reports that Johnson described the episode as the most stressful of his life, with sleepless nights spent worrying about the athletes' perception of him. The circuit, launched in early 2025, cancelled its final leg in Los Angeles and later filed for bankruptcy.
The Indian Opinion
The noise around Michael Johnson's payment to himself drowns out a simpler story: he says he loaned the company USD 2 million and got reimbursed for flight costs. The narrative of a secret payout before the crash plays on suspicion, but Johnson's own wallet was on the line. Creditors have a right to ask questions, but the man who lost his sleep and his salary deserves a fair hearing. The bankruptcy court's final accounting will settle whether the athletes were left holding the bag.
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
