Donald Trump was named in proceedings at Ayr Sheriff Court as Orbis Business Intelligence, a company founded by a former British intelligence officer, seeks to recover more than £800,000 in unpaid legal costs from the Trump Turnberry golf resort in Scotland.
The dispute stems from a 2024 English data protection case in which Trump sued Orbis and its director Christopher Steele, a former MI6 agent. London's High Court of Justice dismissed Trump's claim as out of time and ordered him to pay Orbis £680,000 in legal costs. However, according to reporting in April 2025, Judge Jason Rowley later set Trump's total UK legal bill at just over £626,000, comprising £530,615 in costs plus £95,000 related to the costs dispute itself. With interest accruing over time, Orbis now claims the total amount owed has risen to approximately £789,812.
Orbis is pursuing the case at Ayr Sheriff Court because the Turnberry resort falls within that court's jurisdiction, despite Steele and Orbis having no connections to the area. Sheriff officers served legal papers at the Trump Turnberry resort in September 2024, naming Trump as a "debtor" in court documents.
A key dispute has emerged over Trump's actual ownership stake in the resort. While Trump has publicly stated he owns Turnberry and included it in federal asset filings, SLC Turnberry Limited—the company that operates the course—argues that his interest is held through a trust structure rather than direct ownership. This technical distinction could affect whether Trump can be held personally liable for the company's debts.
What is the background to this legal dispute?
The case originates from Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, when Steele, then working for a law firm connected to Hillary Clinton's campaign, compiled a dossier alleging various links between Trump and Russia. The document contained uncorroborated intelligence claims, including assertions that Trump had been cultivated by Russian intelligence and compromised by Russian security services. A national broadcaster reported in March 2024 that Trump's data-protection claim against Orbis was dismissed because it was "bound to fail," which triggered the costs order against him.
Trump has consistently denied all allegations in the dossier and launched legal action against Orbis through English courts. The dossier was published without permission by the website Buzzfeed in 2017. In February 2024, the High Court threw out Trump's case against Orbis, and in April 2024, the court ordered him to pay the initial legal costs. According to , Trump had not paid the earlier ordered amount, which is why he was later barred from being represented at a further costs hearing.
Who is Christopher Steele?
Steele is a director of Orbis Business Intelligence and a former head of MI6's Russia desk. In 2016, he was hired by a law firm linked to the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign to gather intelligence on then-Republican nominee Trump's alleged connections to Russia. The resulting dossier included a series of uncorroborated claims about Trump's conduct and alleged Russian connections.
What is the ownership structure of Turnberry?
The Trump family acquired the Turnberry resort in Ayrshire in June 2014. Donald Trump served as a director of SLC Turnberry Limited, the company operating the course, until he resigned from that position in January 2017—one day before his presidential inauguration. His sons, Don Jr and Eric, remain directors at the company.
According to Companies House records, Donald Trump Snr has significant control of Golf Recreation Scotland, a company that in turn holds significant control at SLC Turnberry. A person with significant control typically holds more than 25% of shares or voting rights, can appoint or remove a majority of directors, or can influence or control the company's operations.
In court, Turnberry's advocate David Massaro argued that Trump's stake in the course "ultimately rests in a trust in the US, and as they have averred, the president is the beneficiary." Massaro contended that shares are held by trustees and that this arrangement does not create a "sufficient link" to establish Trump as the company's owner for legal purposes.
What arguments have been presented in court?
Orbis's advocate Duncan Hamilton KC told Ayr Sheriff Court that despite an English court ordering Trump to pay money to Orbis,
"over the last 18 months since the last judgement, he has refused or failed to do so". Hamilton noted that his client had spent
"a great deal of time and money chasing president Trump in various jurisdictions."
Hamilton highlighted a contradiction in Trump's position, stating that
"President Trump has stated emphatically that he owns Turnberry. He has committed that to federal filings of assets... He has made that clear in a witness statement to the High Court."Yet Turnberry's position that the president is not the owner, Hamilton argued, was
"putting [Trump] in a degree of legal and reputational jeopardy"by implying his previous assertions were false.
Turnberry's advocate Massaro responded by clarifying that the company was not claiming Trump's statements were false, but rather that the trust structure meant Trump lacked the direct ownership necessary to be held liable for the company's obligations.
What happens next?
Sheriff Millar ordered a further hearing to take place in November, with Trump to be informed of the updated amount claimed by Orbis. According to the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, Ayr Sheriff Court has sittings scheduled for Monday 21 September 2026, which may be relevant if this case remains on the court's agenda.
Key Facts
- Orbis Business Intelligence is pursuing Trump for approximately £789,812 in unpaid legal costs, including interest, stemming from a dismissed 2024 English data protection case
- Trump has refused or failed to pay the legal costs ordered by London's High Court of Justice, prompting Orbis to pursue the matter in Scottish courts
- The case hinges on whether Trump's ownership of Turnberry is direct or held through a trust structure, which affects his personal liability
- Christopher Steele, the former MI6 officer and Orbis director, compiled the controversial dossier on Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign
- A further hearing is scheduled for November to determine the outcome of Orbis's claim against the Trump Turnberry resort
