OJ Simpson Net Worth (Money & Salary)

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

O.J. Simpson, known for his roles as an American football player, sports commentator, and actor, had a net worth of $3 million. During his 1992 divorce proceedings, he estimated his net worth to be $10.8 million. This amount was ultimately the highest point of Simpson’s wealth, and for context, a net worth of $10.8 million in 1992 translates to approximately $25 million today. His Brentwood estate represented nearly half of that net worth in 1992, having been acquired in 1977 for $650,000, which roughly equals $3.5 million today. As per the divorce settlement, O.J.’s monthly income back in 1992 was $55,000, which is the equivalent of $125,000 after adjusting for inflation, translating to about $1.5 million annually today. Most of this income was derived from his endorsement deal with Hertz. In the divorce settlement, O.J. agreed to provide Nicole with $10,000 each month in child support, along with a one-time payment of $433,750 (equivalent to $1 million when adjusted for inflation), while also transferring ownership of a rental property in San Francisco.

In 1995, as you are aware, Simpson was acquitted of the murders of Ron Goldman and his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson. To shield her children from having to testify against their father, Nicole’s family refrained from pursuing a civil lawsuit against him. However, O.J. was faced with a civil lawsuit from Ronald Goldman’s family, which culminated in an order for Simpson to pay $33.5 million in damages—a sum that approximates $65 million today. This amount has accrued interest over the decades, increasing to just under $100 million. Approximately $500,000 of this has been settled through the sale of various assets and memorabilia. In 2007, O.J. became a convicted criminal due to a robbery/kidnapping incident in Las Vegas.

His criminal trial effectively drained O.J.’s entire net worth. He continued residing in his Brentwood mansion until he defaulted on the mortgage and was evicted in 1997. The 6,200-square-foot residence was subsequently purchased in foreclosure for $4 million and was demolished in 1998. Following his eviction, O.J. relocated to Florida and soon filed for bankruptcy. Notably, he declared bankruptcy in Florida, a state that safeguards primary homes from being seized in such situations. Over the years following his acquittal, O.J.’s predominant source of income was a fully-funded NFL pension worth approximately $5 million, which, along with other pensions, provided about $400,000 annually. State laws protected this pension income from claims by the Goldman family. 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. purchased the home at 360 N. Rockingham in LA’s Brentwood neighborhood for $650,000 in 1977. This residence was not the first to be occupied by a celebrity; it was previously leased by the then-married duo James Taylor and Carly Simon before O.J. and Nicole exchanged vows at this home in 1985.

After failing to make $86,000 in mortgage payments, O.J. faced foreclosure auctioning of the estate in July 1997. The bidding commenced at $1.875 million. After a brief three-minute public auction, Hawthorne Savings won the bid, which amounted to $2,631,259, precisely $100,000 more than O.J. owed on the mortgage. Only one other participant took part in the auction.

The former Brentwood mansion, spanning 6,200 square feet, featured amenities such as a tennis court, an Olympic-sized pool with waterfalls, and a spacious multi-unit guesthouse (which was famously…occupied the residence with Kato Kaelin during the time of the murders. The house was demolished in July 1998, and a new mansion was constructed, along with a new address to deter tourists. In November 2005, the new property was sold for $13.6 million.

To demonstrate his innocence, O.J. conducted an extensive tour of the Rockingham estate in 1996 after being acquitted. Here’s the video tour:

In 2000, O.J. acquired a property in Miami for $575,000, located at 9450 SW 112th Street. However, the house faced foreclosure in 2012 after his daughter ceased the mortgage payments while Simpson was serving time in prison in Nevada. The property was sold at a foreclosure auction for $513,000 in 2014. It was demolished in 2023, and in February 2024, the 1.6-acre land was listed for sale at $2.4 million.

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

#1: A close associate stated that prior to his arrest in the ’90s, O.J. owned a pension investment account valued at approximately $2 million. This account has been passively managed over the decades, and his friend believes the current net value of the pension fund is between $2 and $5 million. Additionally, he received a small pension from the Screen Actor’s Guild due to his various appearances in film and television. Thankfully for O.J., the funds from pension schemes remain completely protected from legal judgments and bankruptcy, meaning that the Goldman family could never lay claim to that money. Reportedly, these pensions have generated around $400,000 annually for him.

#2: Every dollar earned by Simpson outside of his pension funds was directed towards settling the $33.5 million civil judgment owed to the Goldman family. In total, $500,000 of those damages were remitted, largely stemming from an auction of his personal belongings in the ’90s.

#3: Speculations arose about O.J. having millions stashed away overseas in the Cayman Islands, a belief held by the Goldman family for years. To add to the rumors regarding offshore accounts, during the 2008 robbery trial that ended with O.J.’s imprisonment, it was noted that one of the individuals held at gunpoint by him and his accomplices was secretly 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.“

Early Life

Born Orenthal James Simpson on July 9, 1947, O.J. Simpson grew up in San Francisco, California, under the care of his mother Eunice, a hospital administrator, and his father 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…

Later in life, he publicly came out as gay and succumbed to AIDS in 1986.

O.J.’s parents divorced in 1952, after which he was primarily raised by his mother. During his teenage years, he became involved with the street gang known as The Persian Warriors and faced a brief period of incarceration in a juvenile detention center. A fortuitous encounter with baseball legend Willie Mays motivated Simpson to reform his lifestyle and avoid further trouble. Following his graduation from Galileo High School, he pursued studies at a community college before securing a football scholarship at the University of Southern California. While at USC, he was a Heisman Trophy contender during his junior year and claimed the award in his senior year.

NFL Career

In 1969, the Buffalo Bills selected Simpson as their number-one draft pick. He sought, at that time, the largest contract in professional sports, amounting to $650,000 over five years. This demand created friction between him and the Bills’ owner Ralph Wilson, leading to a standoff. O.J. even threatened to abandon his football career to pursue acting. Ultimately, Wilson conceded to Simpson’s contract terms. His initial three seasons were challenging, during which he averaged just 622 yards annually. 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 over two thousand yards in one season. In 1975, he reclaimed the rushing title, amassing 1,817 yards and scoring 16 touchdowns. Unfortunately, O.J.’s 1977 season was truncated due to an injury.

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

NFL Earnings

Upon being drafted by the Bills in 1969, O.J. insisted on a contract worth $650,000 over five years. When adjusted for inflation, that amounts to approximately $5.5 million today. After a brief period of negotiation, he eventually secured this agreement, which was the most lucrative contract in professional sports at that time. He consistently remained among the highest-paid players in the league throughout his career. Even in his twilight years, he was the highest-paid player in the NFL. In the 1978 season, his leading salary was $733,668. In his final NFL season, he earned $806,668, equating to about $3.5 million today. During 1979, the average salary for NFL players was $69,000, or roughly $300,000 in today’s currency. Walter Payton ranked as the second-highest-paid player in the league that year, earning $450,000.

Nickname

O.J. acquired the nickname “Juice,” a clever twist on the abbreviation O.J. for orange juice. Additionally, “Juice” also signifies electricity, conveying strength as it relates to a powerful figure. During O.J.’s peak career years, the offensive line of the Bills was humorously termed “The Electric Company.”

Entertainment Career

O.J. Simpson enjoyed a successful career not only as an NFL player but also as an actor, television producer, and commercial spokesman. Before he even retired from professional football, he began appearing in various TV and film roles. His credits include movies such as “The Towering Inferno” (1974), “The Klansman” (1974), and “Capricorn One” (1978). He played the role of Detective Nordberg in the “Naked Gun” comedy trilogy (1988-1994). Moreover, he was part of several television productions, with his most notable appearance in the 1977 miniseries “Roots.” It is worth mentioning that James Cameron considered casting O.J. as the protagonist in “The Terminator” in 1984, but ultimately chose Arnold Schwarzenegger for the role, leaving Simpson out of the film.

Beyond acting, Simpson made a name for himself as an NFL commentator, becoming particularly recognized for his work on “Monday Night Football.” His tenure at ABC spanned from 1969 to 1977, and he returned to the network again from 1983 to 1986. During the interim from 1978 to 1982, he contributed to NBC.

Endorsement Deals

Before joining the NFL in 1969, Simpson secured a lucrative endorsement deal with Chevrolet, which provided him with $250,000 annually. He later endorsed a wide range of products and services, with notable partnerships including TreeSweet Orange Juice, Pioneer Chicken, and HoneyBaked Ham. Among these, his most renowned collaboration was with Hertz, the rental car company. From 1975 until 1992, Simpson served as Hertz’s primary celebrity spokesperson, and his commercials featuring him sprinting through airports became legendary. His endorsement deal with Hertz was financially rewarding, earning him millions, and even after being reduced in status as the lead endorser in 1992, he continued to receive $45,000 monthly from the company for participating in golf tournaments. Interestingly, on the night of the Brentwood murders, O.J. boarded a plane to Chicago to join a Hertz-sponsored golf event, but he was dropped by the company following his arrest.

Personal Life

At the age of 19, Simpson tied the knot with Marguerite Whitley. Together, they welcomed three children: Arnelle, Jason, and Aaren. Unfortunately, Aaren drowned in the family pool in August 1979.

In 1977, Simpson met Nicole Brown, a nightclub waitress, while still married to his first wife. Their relationship blossomed into an affair. Simpson and Whitley finalized their divorce in March 1979, and in February 1985, he married Nicole. They had two children, Sydney and Justin, but their marriage lasted only seven years. In 1989, Simpson pleaded no contest to charges of spousal abuse, and their divorce was finalized in 1992, although they attempted to reconcile in 1993 without success.

Murders of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman

In 1994, Simpson faced charges for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman. Their bodies were discovered stabbed to death outside Nicole’s Brentwood residence on June 12, 1994. From the onset, Simpson was considered a person of interest but did not surrender to authorities immediately. Five days later, on June 17, he became the focus of a low-speed police pursuit while traveling as a passenger in the now-infamous white Ford Bronco driven by his friend Al Cowlings. The chase was broadcast live, interrupting the 1994 NBA finals, and captivated an audience of approximately 95 million viewers.

The ensuing arrest and trial of O.J. Simpson became one ofone of the most highly publicized trials in the history of America. The jury reached a not guilty verdict after an 11-month-long process on October 3, 1995. A staggering 100 million people tuned in to witness the live announcement of the verdict. Subsequently, Simpson faced a civil trial where he was found liable and ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages to the families of Goldman and Brown. By the time of his passing, he had managed to pay approximately $500,000 of that sum. Due to interest, the total owed had ballooned to over $40 million.

Nevada Arrest and Conviction

In 2007, O.J. Simpson found himself in police custody in Las Vegas, Nevada, due to his involvement in an armed robbery at a hotel room. Allegedly, Simpson and a group of associates confronted two sports memorabilia dealers, accusing them of having stolen items that originally belonged to him. During this encounter, firearms were brandished, and the group left with the memorabilia in question.

Facing multiple felony charges, including armed robbery and kidnapping, Simpson’s legal troubles culminated in a guilty verdict on October 3, 2008, exactly 13 years after his earlier acquittal. He was convicted of robbery, kidnapping, coercion, and conspiracy, leading to a 33-year prison sentence, with eligibility for parole after serving nine years. Simpson ultimately spent nine years in prison before being paroled in 2017.

During a hearing in 2013, O.J. argued for a new trial, expressing that he was simply trying to reclaim a few personal items that held no significant value. He cited examples such as a photograph with former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, vacation family photos, and his All-American college certificate. Simpson contended that these were personal belongings with no value to the Goldmans or the Browns, claiming he aimed to retrieve them from a memorabilia dealer who had obtained them unlawfully. His primary defense rested on the assertion that he had neither broken into the room nor used a weapon threateningly, insisting he believed he was acting entirely within the law and was oblivious to his associates carrying firearms. Moreover, he stated that the memorabilia dealers had acknowledged that the items were indeed his and possessed them illegally.

Following the incident, O.J. approached the police to showcase the items taken as evidence of his claim of ownership. Complicating matters, someone in his group reportedly stole the memorabilia dealer’s cellphone, which resulted in robbery charges. Additionally, an audio recording from the confrontation captured O.J. sounding quite agitated. He can be heard saying:

“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 individual’s voice is also recorded saying:

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

Pension Money

After reaching the age of 55, O.J. qualified for pension benefits from the NFL. It is widely assumed that he deliberately postponed his pension payments untilHe was eligible for a larger monthly payment of $10,565 instead of $4,034 because he turned 65. Assuming this information is accurate, the NFL initiated payments to him at the rate of $10,565 per month beginning in 2012.

When factoring in his other pension income, O.J. was reported to earn as much as $400,000 annually.

Since he was unable to access or utilize these funds during his time in prison, roughly $602,000 would have accumulated in his bank account. A close friend indicated that O.J. also has a personal pension fully funded, valued between $2-5 million, contingent upon asset investments and performance. Additionally, it is reported that he received a Screen Actor’s Guild pension that provided about $1,700 monthly. Given that pension income is protected from bankruptcy or legal judgements, it remains entirely inaccessible to the Goldman family.