OJ Simpson Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Was O.J. Simpson’s Net Worth, Salary, and Career Earnings?

An American football player, sports commentator, and actor, O.J. Simpson had a net worth of $3 million. During his 1992 divorce proceedings, he estimated his net worth at $10.8 million. This amount represented Simpson’s highest net worth, which, when adjusted for inflation, would equate to $25 million in contemporary terms. About half of his 1992 fortune originated from his Brentwood estate, purchased in 1977 for $650,000 (approximately $3.5 million today). In 1992, O.J.’s monthly income, according to divorce settlement terms, was $55,000, which adjusts to around $125,000 today or about $1.5 million annually. Much of this income was derived from his Hertz endorsement deal. To resolve the divorce, he consented to pay Nicole $10,000 monthly in child support plus a single payment of $433,750 (equivalent to $1 million now). Additionally, O.J. provided Nicole with a rental property in San Francisco.

In 1995, as you may recall, Simpson was acquitted of the murders of Ron Goldman and his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson. To spare her children from testifying against their father, Nicole’s family refrained from suing him civilly. However, Ronald Goldman’s family pursued a civil lawsuit against Simpson, resulting in a $33.5 million damages order, roughly $65 million today. This amount has accrued interest over the years, totaling just under $100 million. O.J. paid about $500,000 through sales of various assets and memorabilia. Furthermore, in 2007, he became a convicted criminal following a robbery/kidnapping incident in Las Vegas.

Simpson’s criminal trial essentially depleted his entire net worth. He resided in his Brentwood mansion until 1997, when he was evicted for failing to meet mortgage payments. The 6,200-square-foot residence was ultimately purchased in foreclosure for $4 million and demolished in 1998. Following his eviction, O.J. relocated to Florida and eventually filed for bankruptcy. Notably, he declared bankruptcy after moving to Florida, where laws protect a primary residence from seizure. In the ensuing years post-acquittal, O.J.’s main income source was a fully-funded NFL pension, valued at about $5 million, alongside other pensions generating approximately $400,000 yearly. State laws safeguarded this pension from the Goldman family’s claims. O.J. Simpson passed away on April 10, 2024, at the age of 76 after battling cancer.

Rockingham Mansion Foreclosure

As previously mentioned, O.J. acquired a residence in 1977 at 360 N. Rockingham in LA’s Brentwood area for $650,000. Before his ownership, the home was leased by the celebrity couple James Taylor and Carly Simon. O.J. married Nicole at this location in 1985.

In July 1997, after failing to pay $86,000 in mortgage payments, Simpson’s estate was placed up for foreclosure. The auction began with a starting bid of $1.875 million. After a brief three-minute public bidding, Hawthorne Savings, O.J.’s mortgage lender, emerged victorious with a bid of $2,631,259, which was exactly $100,000 more than what Simpson owed on the property. Only one competing bidder participated in the auction.

This former Brentwood mansion owned by O.J. was expansive, covering 6,200 square feet, and boasted amenities such as a tennis court, an Olympic-sized swimming pool adorned with waterfalls, and a spacious multi-unit guesthouse (which was famously…

occupied the residence along with Kato Kaelin during the murders. In July 1998, the house was torn down, replaced by a new mansion, and given a different address to deter tourists. In November 2005, this new property sold for $13.6 million.

After his acquittal, O.J. attempted to prove his innocence by conducting an extensive tour of the Rockingham estate in 1996. Here’s the video tour:

In 2000, he acquired a property in Miami for $575,000. This house, located at 9450 SW 112th Street, faced foreclosure in 2012 when his daughter ceased mortgage payments. At this time, Simpson was incarcerated in Nevada. In 2014, the property was sold at a foreclosure auction for $513,000. The structure was demolished in 2023, and the 1.6-acre plot was listed for sale at $2.4 million in February 2024.

3 More Facts About O.J. Simpson’s Net Worth

#1: A close associate revealed that before his arrest in the ’90s, O.J. had a pension investment account valued at about $2 million. This fund had been managed passively for several decades, with estimates of its current net asset value ranging between $2 and $5 million. Additionally, he had a minor pension from the Screen Actor’s Guild due to his appearances in film and television. Luckily for O.J., pension funds are completely shielded from legal judgments and bankruptcy, meaning the Goldman family could not access these funds. Reportedly, his pension sources generated approximately $400,000 annually for Simpson.

#2: All income that Simpson earned outside his pension funds went directly to the Goldman family to settle the $33.5 million civil judgment against him. In total, he paid $500,000 of that amount, with much of it sourced from an auction of his personal belongings in the 90s.

#3: There were speculations that O.J. had hidden millions in overseas accounts in the Cayman Islands, a belief held for many years by the Goldman family. This rumor gained traction during the 2008 robbery trial leading to Simpson’s imprisonment, where recorded evidence captured a man, held at gunpoint by him and his associates, stating:

“No one puts a gun in my face. I defended [him] while he was incarcerated. I defended him in the media. I defended him… on the witness stand. I assisted him in establishing his offshore accounts.“

Early Life

Born Orenthal James Simpson on July 9, 1947, in San Francisco, California, O.J. was raised by his mother, Eunice, a hospital administrator, and his father, Jimmy Lee Simpson, who worked as a chef and bank custodian. His father was well-known as a drag queen in the San Francisco Bay area who

Later in life, he came out as gay and passed away from AIDS in 1986.

His parents separated in 1952, leading to O.J. being raised by his mother. During his teenage years, he became a member of the street gang The Persian Warriors and was briefly held in a juvenile detention center. An encounter with baseball star Willie Mays motivated Simpson to turn his life around and avoid further trouble. After graduating from Galileo High School, he enrolled in community college before receiving a football scholarship to the University of Southern California. At USC, he was a Heisman Trophy candidate in his junior year and clinched the award during his senior year.

NFL Career

In 1969, the Buffalo Bills selected Simpson as their number-one draft pick. He demanded what was then the largest contract in professional sports history: $650,000 over five years. This demand caused tension and a standoff with the Bills’ owner, Ralph Wilson. O.J. even threatened to abandon professional football for acting. Ultimately, Wilson consented to Simpson’s terms. His initial three years were challenging, averaging just 622 yards per season. However, in 1972, O.J. surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his professional career. The following year, he became the first NFL player to rush for more than two thousand yards in a single season. In 1975, he reclaimed the rushing title with 1,817 yards and 16 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his 1977 season was cut short due to injury.

Before the 1978 season, Simpson was traded to the San Francisco 49ers, where he played for two seasons. His last NFL game took place on December 16, 1979, resulting in a loss against the Atlanta Falcons. O.J.’s final play was a 10-yard run on a 3rd and 10 for a first down. He participated in six Pro Bowls and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. In 2019, he was honored by being named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

NFL Earnings

Upon being drafted by the Bills in 1969, O.J. sought a 5-year contract worth $650,000. Today, that amount is roughly equivalent to $5.5 million when adjusted for inflation. After a short negotiation period, he ultimately secured the contract, which at the time was the largest in professional sports history. Throughout his career, he remained among the league’s top earners. Even during his final seasons, he was the highest-paid NFL player. In the 1978 season, his salary topped the league at $733,668. In his last season, 1979, O.J. earned $806,668, which translates to approximately $3.5 million today. The average NFL salary that year was $69,000 or about $300,000 in present-day terms. Walter Payton held the title of the league’s second-highest-paid player with a salary of $450,000 in 1979.

Nickname

O.J. Simpson acquired the nickname Juice, a playful reference to O.J., which is a common shorthand for orange juice. Furthermore, Juice is used as a synonym for electricity, symbolizing strength for a powerful figure. During the height of O.J.’s career, the Bills’ offensive line earned the moniker The Electric Company.

Entertainment Career

Alongside being a successful actor, television producer, and commercial spokesman, Simpson was also known for his NFL career. Even prior to his retirement from football, he engaged in acting roles in both television and film. Notable appearances include films such as “The Towering Inferno” (1974), “The Klansman” (1974), and “Capricorn One” (1978). He gained prominence as Detective Nordberg in the “Naked Gun” comedy trilogy (1988-1994). Additionally, he featured in various television productions, with a standout role in 1977’s “Roots.” Considered by James Cameron for the lead role in “The Terminator” in 1984, Simpson was ultimately replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Beyond his acting pursuits, Simpson served as an NFL commentator, most famously for “Monday Night Football.” His tenure with ABC lasted from 1969 to 1977 and then resumed from 1983 to 1986, while he was also engaged with NBC from 1978 to 1982.

Endorsement Deals

Before joining the NFL in 1969, Simpson secured an endorsement deal with Chevrolet worth $250,000 annually. This marked the beginning of numerous endorsements throughout his career, with significant contracts for TreeSweet Orange Juice, Pioneer Chicken, and HoneyBaked Ham among others. However, his most recognized association was with rental car company Hertz. Serving as Hertz’s primary celebrity endorser from 1975 to 1992, his commercials featuring him running through airports achieved iconic status. Simpson accrued millions from Hertz endorsements, and even after his role diminished in 1992, he continued to receive $45,000 a month to attend golf events for the company. Notably, on the night of the Brentwood murders, O.J. boarded a plane to Chicago to participate in a Hertz golf tournament, but was subsequently dropped by the company following his arrest.

Personal Life

Simpson tied the knot with Marguerite Whitley at the age of 19, and together they had three children: Arnelle, Jason, and Aaren Simpson. A tragic event occurred in August 1979 when Aaren drowned in the family swimming pool.

In 1977, Simpson crossed paths with nightclub waitress Nicole Brown. Although still married to his first wife, the two began their relationship. Simpson divorced Whitley in March 1979, and he wedded Nicole in February 1985, welcoming two children, Sydney and Justin. Their marriage endured for seven years and in 1989, Simpson pleaded no contest to charges of spousal abuse. Their divorce concluded in 1992, followed by an unsuccessful reconciliation attempt in 1993.

Murders of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman

In 1994, charges were brought against Simpson for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman. They were discovered brutally stabbed outside Nicole’s Brentwood condo on June 12, 1994. Immediately, Simpson became a person of interest in the case, though he did not surrender himself. Five days later, on June 17th, a low-speed police chase ensued while he was a passenger in the now-infamous white Ford Bronco, driven by his friend Al Cowlings. The chase was aired live, interrupting the 1994 NBA finals, captivating an estimated audience of 95 million viewers.

The subsequent arrest and trial of O.J. Simpson was one ofthe most publicized trials in American history. On October 3, 1995, after 11 months, the jury rendered a verdict of not guilty. An estimated 100 million viewers tuned in to see the live announcement of the verdict. Subsequently, Simpson was convicted in a civil trial, which led to an order for him to pay $33.5 million in damages to the Goldman and Brown families. At the time of his passing, he had only paid roughly $500,000 of those damages. With interest accumulating, the total he owed exceeded $40 million.

Nevada Arrest and Conviction

In Las Vegas, Nevada, O.J. Simpson was arrested in 2007 due to his involvement in an armed robbery at a hotel room. Allegedly, Simpson and several associates confronted two sports memorabilia dealers, insisting that the items they had were stolen from him. During this encounter, guns were drawn, and the group left with the memorabilia in question.

Multiple felony charges followed, including armed robbery and kidnapping. Remarkably, on October 3, 2008, exactly 13 years after his criminal acquittal, O.J. was convicted on all counts – robbery, kidnapping, coercion, and conspiracy. He received a sentence of 33 years in prison, along with the possibility of parole after nine years. In 2017, after serving nine years, Simpson was released on parole.

During a 2013 hearing, O.J. claimed he deserved a new trial, arguing that he had merely sought to retrieve a few personal items without any substantial value. He cited a photograph with former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, family vacation photos, and his college All-American certificate as examples of personal belongings. O.J. contended that these items held no value to the Goldmans or the Browns and maintained that he was just trying to reclaim them from a memorabilia dealer who had obtained them unlawfully. His primary assertion was that he never broke into the room and that he personally did not brandish or threaten anyone with a weapon. He claimed he believed he was acting entirely within legal bounds and was completely unaware that anyone in his group had a firearm. Furthermore, he stated that the dealers had even acknowledged that the memorabilia was rightfully his and had been acquired illegally.

Following the incident, O.J. went to the police to show them the items taken, aiming to prove they were indeed his personal property. However, complications arose when one of his associates allegedly stole the memorabilia dealer’s cellphone, which constituted robbery. Another issue emerged as someone covertly recorded him during the confrontation, where he appeared very agitated. In the recording, Simpson could be heard clearly stating:

“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@!?”

An unidentified voice went on to say:

“Backs to the wall. Walk your a$$ over there. You against the motherf@#ing wall!”

Pension Money

Upon reaching the age of 55, O.J. became eligible for a pension from the NFL. It is widely believed that he actually postponed accepting his pension payments untilAt the age of 65, he became eligible for a higher monthly payment of $10,565 instead of $4,034. If this is accurate, the NFL started disbursing $10,565 to him monthly beginning in 2012.

When factoring in his additional pension income, O.J. was reportedly making up to $400,000 annually.

Due to the restrictions during his time in prison, around $602,000 would have accumulated in his bank account. One of his close friends stated that O.J. likely possesses a fully funded personal pension valued between $2-5 million, contingent on the performance and investment of those assets. Additionally, he was said to have a Screen Actors Guild pension providing approximately $1,700 monthly. It’s important to note that pension income cannot be accessed through bankruptcy or legal judgments, making it entirely off-limits to the Goldman family.