- The Greenbrier completed a $500 million refinancing with Kennedy Lewis Investment Management in mid-August 2026.
- Federal and West Virginia tax liens were withdrawn after the closing, following the payoff of roughly $300 million in tax-lien debt.
- The West Virginia Lottery approved the ownership change, and casino operations continued during the transition.
The Greenbrier completed a $500 million refinancing with Kennedy Lewis Investment Management in mid-August 2026, and federal and West Virginia tax liens tied to the resort were withdrawn afterward.
The transaction paid tax liabilities and other secured debts. It also shifted control of the resort to the investment firm.
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The financing had been presented as a way to retire roughly $300 million in tax-lien debt. Another $200 million was designated for resort upgrades.
The West Virginia Lottery later approved the ownership change. Casino operations were to continue during the transition.
The withdrawal followed the financial closing. The available account ties it to the payoff, not to a separate court ruling ordering the liens removed.
Federal and state filings accumulated before the refinancing closed
The largest federal filings arrived on August 10, 2026. The Internal Revenue Service recorded more than $8 million in payroll-tax liens against the owners of The Greenbrier Hotel.
Two tax periods made up most of that total. One filing covered the period ending December 31, 2025, for $4.92 million. Another covered the period ending March 31, 2026, for $3.08 million.
The related Greenbrier Clinic received a separate $827,000 lien on the same day. Earlier federal filings had already reached about $3.5 million in July 2026.
| Tax authority and filing period | Entity or tax category | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| IRS, August 10, 2026 | Greenbrier Hotel owners, period ending December 31, 2025 | $4.92 million |
| IRS, August 10, 2026 | Greenbrier Hotel owners, period ending March 31, 2026 | $3.08 million |
| IRS, August 10, 2026 | Greenbrier Clinic | $827,000 |
| IRS, July 2026 | Greenbrier Hotel and clinic filings | About $3.5 million |
| West Virginia State Tax Division, June 2026 | Consumer sales and use taxes | About $3.9 million |
| West Virginia State Tax Division, June 2026 | State payroll-related taxes | Roughly $455,000 |
The July federal total included about $3.3 million tied to the hotel. The clinic accounted for $289,893.
State records disclosed another roughly $4.4 million in June 2026. Greenbrier Hotel Corporation faced about $3.9 million in consumer sales and use taxes, plus roughly $455,000 in state payroll-related taxes.
The filings show the debts recorded before closing. Their later withdrawal is the documented post-closing result.
The transaction changed control while funding debts and upgrades
The Justice family ownership group had pursued the financing with a New York-based alternative asset manager founded in 2017. The firm focuses on distressed debt and event-driven situations.
The deal addressed more than tax accounts. It also paid secured debts, resolved litigation involving creditors linked to Omni Hotels, and supplied money for capital improvements at the historic resort.
Control changed with the transaction. Lottery approval identified Nathan Lloyd as chairman of the Greenbrier Resort and Casino.
Kennedy Lewis became the new majority owner and controlling interest holder. The approval followed the closing and allowed casino operations to continue during the transition.
The resort’s ownership structure therefore changed alongside the debt payoff. No separate court decision is identified as the cause of the lien withdrawals.
A separate lawsuit ended after the parties reached a full settlement
U.S. District Judge Frank Volk allowed the Justice family until the week before the August 11 report to pursue financing. He also set hearings for September if the deal failed.
A related county-court lawsuit ended on different terms. Greenbrier Circuit Judge Robert Richardson agreed to dismiss that case after the parties settled their disputes.
The settlement covered claims already made and claims that could have been brought in the action:
“a full and final settlement and compromise resolving all claims, counterclaims, and controversies asserted or that could have been asserted between them in this action”
Richardson’s dismissal followed that agreement. The material connects the lien withdrawals to the completed financing and debt payoff, not to the dismissal itself.
Officials described the closing as a debt payoff and a reset for the resort
Steve Ruby, the Justice family’s attorney, told lottery officials that the resort had entered a transaction with a new business partner that had “paid off a very significant amount of debt.”
Ruby also addressed the liabilities shown during the financing process. He said:
“All liabilities of the Greenbrier were reported on the financial statements provided to Suttle & Stalnaker in June 2026,”
He added, “We are aware of no other Greenbrier debts to the state or federal governments.”
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said he was “hopeful that the new controlling owner will bring much-needed financial stability to the iconic Greenbrier resort”.
The control transfer placed Nathan Lloyd in the chairman’s role, while the tax records showed federal and state liens withdrawn after the August closing.
