What is O.J. Simpson’s net worth, salary and career earnings?
O.J. Simpson, a former American football player, sports commentator, and actor, has a net worth of $3 million. However, he is also a convicted criminal due to a robbery/kidnapping incident in Las Vegas in 2007, and responsible for the murder of Ronald Goldman.
Although Simpson was found not guilty of murder in 1995, he was found financially responsible for Goldman’s death and ordered to pay the Goldman family $33.5 million in damages. Today, that number has grown to over $40 million with interest, but only around $500,000 has been paid down through the sale of various assets and memorabilia.
Simpson’s primary source of income now is a fully-funded NFL pension, which is reportedly worth up to $5 million. This pension money is protected by state law and cannot be claimed by the Goldman family.
OJ Simpson’s Net Worth and Financial Situation
OJ Simpson had a pension investment account worth around $2 million, which has been managed passively over the last few decades. He also has a pension from the NFL that pays $10,600 per month and a small pension from the Screen Actor’s Guild. However, every penny Simpson earns outside of his pension money goes straight to the Goldman family to help settle the $33 million outstanding civil judgment they have against him. Simpson has paid approximately $500,000 of those damages to date, much of which came from an auction of his personal items back in the 90s.
Before the murders, in 1992, Simpson estimated his net worth to be $10.8 million, around half of which came from the value of his Brentwood estate. He had a monthly income of $55,000, the majority of which came from his Hertz endorsement contract, which is equivalent to $92,000 per month after adjusting for inflation, roughly $1.1 million per year today. To settle his divorce, Simpson agreed to pay Nicole $10,000 per month in child support plus a one-time payment of $433,750.
There are rumors that Simpson has millions of dollars hidden oversees in the Cayman Islands, which the Goldman family has believed for years. If it is ever proven that Simpson has millions of dollars stashed overseas, it will be very bad for him, and any discovered money will go to Fred Goldman.
OJ Simpson’s Net Worth and Divorce Settlement
According to legal filings from his 1992 divorce from Nicole, OJ Simpson had a net worth of $10.8 million, which is equivalent to around $18 million today. Half of his net worth came from his Brentwood estate, which he bought in 1977 for $650,000. OJ’s monthly income in 1992 was $55,000, equivalent to $92,000 per month today, with the majority of it coming from his Hertz endorsement contract.
To settle the divorce, OJ agreed to pay Nicole $10,000 per month in child support and a one-time payment of $433,750 (now $730,000 after adjusting for inflation). He also gave her a rental property in San Francisco. OJ continued to live in his Brentwood mansion until he was evicted in 1997 after defaulting on the mortgage. The house was bought in foreclosure for $4 million and demolished in 1998.
O.J. Simpson’s Early Life
O.J. Simpson was born in San Francisco, California in 1947 and was raised by his mother after his parents separated in 1952. He joined a street gang in his teenage years and was briefly incarcerated, but a meeting with baseball star Willie Mays inspired him to turn his life around. He went on to attend the University of Southern California on a football scholarship where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior.
O.J. Simpson’s NFL Career
In 1969, Simpson was drafted as the number-one pick by the Buffalo Bills. After a standoff with the team’s owner, he finally agreed to the largest contract in pro sports history at the time. Simpson struggled in his first three years but finally rushed over 1,000 yards in 1972. The following year, he became the first NFL player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season. Simpson was traded to the San Francisco 49ers before the 1978 season, where he played for two seasons before retiring after the 1979 season. He played in six Pro Bowls and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. In 2019, Simpson was named to the National Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
OJ Simpson’s Record-Setting Contract with the Buffalo Bills
OJ Simpson demanded and eventually received a 5-year $650,000 contract after being drafted by the Bills. Adjusted for inflation, it is equivalent to around $4.5 million today. The contract was the largest in professional sports history at the time.
O.J. Simpson’s Nickname “Juice”
O.J. Simpson was given the nickname “Juice” as a play on his initials, which are commonly used to refer to orange juice. The nickname also connotes power, as “juice” is a synonym for electricity. During Simpson’s career peak, the Buffalo Bills’ offensive line was known as “The Electric Company.”
Aside from being a successful NFL player, OJ Simpson also had a successful career in acting, television production, and commercial endorsements. Prior to retiring from the NFL, he began appearing in films such as The Klansman and The Naked Gun series, as well as the miniseries Roots. He also produced a series of TV movies in the early 1980s.
Additionally, Simpson was the commercial spokesman for Hertz car rental company in the 1970s. He was even considered for the title role in the film The Terminator in 1984, but was ultimately not cast.
Another aspect of Simpson’s career was his role as a commentator for Monday Night Football on ABC.
Marriages and Children
O.J. Simpson married Marguerite Whitley at age 19 and had three children: Arnelle, Jason, and Aaren Simpson. Tragically, Aaren drowned in the family’s swimming pool in August 1979. Simpson began dating Nicole Brown, a nightclub waitress, in 1977 while still married to Whitley. They divorced in March 1979. Simpson married Brown in February 1985 and they had two children, Sydney and Justin. Their marriage ended after seven years and Simpson pleaded no contest to spousal abuse in 1989. They attempted reconciliation in 1993, but it was unsuccessful.
OJ Simpson’s Infamous Trials
In 1994, OJ Simpson was charged with the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman. Simpson was a person of interest in their murders and was the subject of a low-speed chase by police while riding as a passenger in a white Ford Bronco driven by his friend Al Cowlings. The chase was broadcasted live to an estimated 95 million viewers.
The arrest and trial of O.J. Simpson was one of the most publicized trials in American history. In 1995, after 11 months, the jury rendered a verdict of not guilty. An estimated 100 million people tuned in to watch the verdict announcement live. Simpson was subsequently convicted in a civil trial and was ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages to the Goldman and Brown families. To date, he has paid approximately $500,000 of those damages. With interest, OJ now owes more than $40 million.
OJ Simpson’s Arrest and Conviction
In 2007, OJ Simpson was arrested and charged with multiple felony counts, including criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, assault, and robbery. The charges stemmed from an incident where Simpson and a group of men stole sports memorabilia from a Las Vegas hotel room.
He was ultimately convicted and sentenced to 33 years in prison. However, in July 2017, Simpson was granted parole and was released from prison in October 2017.
OJ Simpson’s Pension Income
After turning 55, OJ Simpson became eligible to receive a pension from the NFL. He reportedly delayed receiving payments until he turned 65 so he could receive a larger monthly payment of $10,565. The NFL began paying him this amount in 2012, and since he was in prison, approximately $602,000 built up in his bank account. In addition, he reportedly has a personal pension worth $2-5 million and a Screen Actor’s Guild pension that pays around $1700 per month. Fortunately for Simpson, pension income cannot be seized by bankruptcy or legal judgments, meaning it is off-limits to the Goldman family.
