OJ Simpson Net Worth (Money & Salary)
changed into a temporary home for O.J. during his trial). After the foreclosure, the mansion was eventually demolished in 1998.
O.J.’s Imprisonment and Bankruptcy
As previously mentioned, in 2007, O.J. Simpson was involved in a robbery/kidnapping incident in Las Vegas which led to his conviction and imprisonment. This event further depleted his finances. After being evicted from his Brentwood home, Simpson relocated to Florida, where he declared bankruptcy. His bankruptcy declaration was significant since Florida’s laws protect primary residences from being seized, allowing him to secure his pension funds. Despite his legal troubles, O.J.’s pension was safe and continued to provide him with annual income, alongside a combination of other retirement benefits, amounting to around $400,000 each year.
Until his death on April 10, 2024, at the age of 76 due to cancer, O.J. Simpson’s financial situation fluctuated dramatically. Throughout the years following his trial, his net worth suffered from legal expenses, settlements, and losses, ultimately leaving him with a considerably diminished financial status.
was known for his performances. At the time of the murders, Kato Kaelin was occupying the home. In July 1998, that residence was demolished, and a new mansion was constructed under a different address to deter tourists. This new home was sold in November 2005 for a price of $13.6 million.
Following his acquittal, O.J. provided a comprehensive tour of the Rockingham estate in 1996 as a means to declare his innocence. Here’s the video tour:
In 2000, he purchased a house in Miami for $575,000, located at 9450 SW 112th Street. However, in 2012, the house went into foreclosure after his daughter ceased making payment on the mortgage. At that time, Simpson was incarcerated in Nevada. The property was sold during a foreclosure auction in 2014 for $513,000. The house was demolished in 2023, and by February 2024, the 1.6-acre lot was listed for $2.4 million.
3 More Facts About O.J. Simpson’s Net Worth
#1: One of his close associates reported that prior to his arrest in the ’90s, O.J. possessed a pension investment account valued at around $2 million. Over the following decades, this money was managed passively, leading the friend to believe that the current net asset value of the pension fund is between $2 and $5 million. Additionally, he received a small pension from the Screen Actor’s Guild, attributable to his various roles in film and television. Thankfully for O.J., pension funds are fully safeguarded from legal judgments and even bankruptcy, enabling the Goldman family to never access these funds. Reportedly, his pensions generated approximately $400,000 per year in income for him.
#2: All income earned by Simpson outside of his pension went directly to the Goldman family in order to address the $33.5 million civil judgment owed to them. Of those damages, $500,000 was paid, much sourced from an auction of his personal belongings during the ’90s.
#3: There were persistent rumors that O.J. had millions stashed overseas in the Cayman Islands, a belief held by the Goldman family for many years. These rumors gained traction during the 2008 robbery trial, which eventually led to O.J.’s imprisonment, when one of the men held at gunpoint by Simpson and his associates was recorded saying:
“Nobody puts a gun in my face. I stood up for [him] while he was in jail. I stood up for him in the press. I stood up for him… on the stand. I helped him set up his offshore accounts.“
Jeff Scheid – Pool/Getty Images
Early Life
O.J. Simpson was born on July 9, 1947, in San Francisco, California, under the name Orenthal James Simpson. Raised in the city by his parents Eunice, a hospital administrator, and Jimmy Lee Simpson, a chef and bank custodian, O.J.’s father was a well-known drag queen in the San Francisco Bay area who was famous for his performances.
Later in life, he came out as gay and succumbed to AIDS in 1986.
After his parents’ separation in 1952, O.J. was raised by his mother. During his early teenage years, he became a member of the street gang The Persian Warriors and experienced a brief stint in a juvenile detention center. A serendipitous meeting with baseball superstar Willie Mays motivated Simpson to turn his life around and avoid trouble. Following his graduation from Galileo High School, he went on to community college before receiving a football scholarship to the University of Southern California. While at USC, he was a Heisman Trophy contender in his junior year and claimed the prestigious award as a senior.
NFL Career
In 1969, the Buffalo Bills selected Simpson as their number-one draft pick. He demanded a contract worth $650,000 over five years, which was the largest in pro sports history at the time. This request created tension and a standoff with Bills owner Ralph Wilson, with O.J. even threatening to abandon professional football for a career in acting. Ultimately, Wilson conceded to Simpson’s demands. During his initial three years, he faced struggles, averaging only 622 yards per season. However, in 1972, O.J. achieved his first 1,000-yard rushing season. The following year, he made history as the first NFL player to rush for over two thousand yards in a single season. In 1975, he once again won the rushing title, recording 1,817 yards and scoring 16 touchdowns. Unfortunately, injuries curtailed Simpson’s 1977 season.
Ahead of the 1978 season, Simpson was traded to the San Francisco 49ers, where he played for two seasons. His NFL career concluded on December 16, 1979, in a game against the Atlanta Falcons, where his last play was a 10-yard run on 3rd and 10 for a first down. Simpson participated in six Pro Bowls and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. In 2019, he earned a spot on the National Football League’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
NFL Earnings
Upon being drafted by the Bills in 1969, O.J. sought a five-year contract worth $650,000, which translates to approximately $5.5 million today when adjusted for inflation. Following a brief deadlock, he ultimately secured that contract—then the largest in professional sports. Throughout his career, he consistently ranked as one of the highest-paid players in the league. Even in his later years, he maintained the top salary in the NFL. In the 1978 season, his salary, which led the league, was $733,668. In his final NFL season, 1979, O.J. earned $806,668, equivalent to about $3.5 million today. In contrast, the average NFL salary in 1979 was $69,000, or around $300,000 in today’s terms, with Walter Payton being the second-highest-paid player, earning $450,000 that year.
OJ Simpson poses with his Ferrari June 12, 1979 (Photo Paul Harris/Getty Images)
Nickname
Simpson earned the nickname “Juice” as a pun on O.J., a widely used abbreviation for orange juice. Additionally, “Juice” serves as a synonym for electricity, suggesting a dynamic presence. During the peak of O.J.’s career, the offensive line of the Bills was colloquially referred to as The Electric Company.
Entertainment Career
Simpson also achieved success as an actor, television producer, and commercial spokesman. Even prior to his NFL retirement, he began taking roles in television and film. His film credits include titles such as “The Towering Inferno” (1974), “The Klansman” (1974), and “Capricorn One” (1978). Notably, Simpson starred as Detective Nordberg in the “Naked Gun” comedy trilogy (1988-1994). Additionally, he participated in various television projects, with “Roots” (1977) being one of the most notable. In 1984, James Cameron considered O.J. for the title role in “The Terminator,” but ultimately chose Arnold Schwarzenegger for the part, and Simpson did not appear in the film.
Beyond acting, Simpson served as an NFL commentator, gaining fame for his work on “Monday Night Football.” His tenure with ABC lasted from 1969 to 1977, and he returned to the network from 1983 to 1986. Between 1978 and 1982, he was with NBC.
Endorsement Deals
Before joining the NFL in 1969, Simpson entered into an endorsement contract with Chevrolet worth $250,000 annually. He went on to promote numerous products and services. Among his most significant endorsements were TreeSweet Orange Juice, Pioneer Chicken, and HoneyBaked Ham. However, his most renowned partnership was with the rental car company Hertz. Serving as Hertz’s primary celebrity endorser from 1975 until 1992, O.J.’s commercials featuring him sprinting through airports became iconic. He earned millions from this relationship, and even after losing his primary endorser status in 1992, he still received $45,000 per month from Hertz for participating in golf outings. Notably, on the night of the Brentwood murders, O.J. boarded a plane to Chicago for a Hertz golf tournament. Following his arrest, he was dropped by the company.
Steve Marcus-Pool/Getty Images
Personal Life
At the age of 19, Simpson entered into marriage with Marguerite Whitley, with whom he had three children: Arnelle, Jason, and Aaren Simpson. Tragically, Aaren drowned in the family’s swimming pool in August 1979.
In 1977, Simpson met Nicole Brown, who worked as a nightclub waitress. While still married to his first wife, the two began a relationship. Simpson’s divorce from Whitley was finalized in March 1979. He married Nicole in February 1985, and they welcomed two children, Sydney and Justin, during their seven-year marriage. In 1989, Simpson pleaded no contest to spousal abuse. Their divorce was finalized in 1992, and they attempted to reconcile in 1993, but it was unsuccessful.
Murders of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman
In 1994, Simpson was charged with the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman. The two were discovered stabbed to death outside Nicole’s Brentwood condo on June 12, 1994. Immediately a person of interest, Simpson did not surrender. Five days later, on June 17th, he became the focus of a low-speed police chase as a passenger in the infamous white Ford Bronco, driven by Al Cowlings. The chase was so notable that television stations interrupted the 1994 NBA Finals to broadcast it live, attracting an estimated 95 million viewers.
The events surrounding O.J. Simpson’s arrest and trial became one ofthe most widely reported trials in American history. On October 3, 1995, after 11 months, the jury delivered a not guilty verdict. An estimated 100 million viewers watched the live announcement of the verdict. Subsequently, Simpson was found guilty in a civil trial, being ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages to the Brown and Goldman families. At the time of his passing, he had settled approximately $500,000 of that total. With accruing interest, the amount owed exceeded $40 million.
(Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
Nevada Arrest and Conviction
In 2007, O.J. Simpson faced arrest in Las Vegas, Nevada, due to his connection with an armed robbery that occurred in a hotel room. Allegedly, Simpson and his associates confronted two memorabilia dealers, asserting that the items they possessed were stolen from him. The situation escalated, and guns were drawn, leading the group to leave with the memorabilia.
Simpson was charged with several felonies, including armed robbery and kidnapping. On October 3, 2008, exactly 13 years after his acquittal in the criminal trial, O.J. was convicted on all counts, including robbery, kidnapping, coercion, and conspiracy. He received a 33-year prison sentence with the option for parole after serving nine years. Simpson was released on parole in 2017 after completing his nine-year term.
During a hearing in 2013, O.J. claimed he deserved a new trial, stating he was only attempting to recover a few personal items of no significant value, such as a photograph with former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, vacation family photos, and his college All-American certificate. He contended these items were personal and of no interest to the Goldmans or the Browns, arguing he was simply retrieving them from a memorabilia dealer who obtained them unlawfully. O.J.’s primary assertion was that he did not forcefully enter the room and did not brandish or use a weapon in a threatening manner. He believed he was acting lawfully and was completely oblivious to the possibility that anyone in his group had a firearm. According to him, the dealers had even admitted the memorabilia belonged to him and that they acquired it improperly.
Following the confrontation, O.J. went directly to the police, showing them the items he had taken to validate that they were his personal belongings. Complications arose because someone from his group reportedly stole the memorabilia dealer’s cellphone, which constituted robbery. Additionally, an individual secretly recorded him during the altercation, capturing him sounding very agitated. On that recording, Simpson was audibly heard declaring:
“Don’t let nobody out of this room. Motherf@#ker, you think you can steal my sh@! and sell it? Think you can steal my sh@!?”
Moreover, an unidentified voice stated:
“Backs to the wall. Walk your a$$ over there. You against the motherf@#ing wall!”
Pension Money
Once O.J. turned 55, he became eligible to receive an NFL pension. It is generally believed that he postponed collecting his pension payments until
At the age of 65, he became eligible to receive a higher monthly payment ($10,565 per month as opposed to $4,034). If this holds true, the NFL commenced payments of $10,565 per month for him starting in 2012.
O.J. reportedly amassed as much as $400,000 annually when this was factored in with his other pension income.
Due to his incarceration, he was unable to access or utilize these funds, leading to an accumulation of approximately $602,000 in his bank account. One of his close friends disclosed that O.J. is also believed to possess a fully-funded personal pension valued between $2-5 million, contingent upon the performance and investment of the assets. Additionally, he is said to have a Screen Actor’s Guild pension yielding approximately $1,700 monthly. It’s important to note that pension income is shielded from bankruptcy or legal judgments, rendering it completely inaccessible to the Goldman family.
