OJ Simpson Net Worth (Money & Salary)

Learn About O.J. Simpson’s Net Worth, Income, and Earning History

Would you like to know about the financial side of O.J. Simpson? He was a talented American footballer, sports analyst, and actor with an estimated net worth of $3 million. During his divorce proceedings in 1992, Simpson claimed his net worth was around $10.8 million. This was the peak of his wealth graph. In today’s terms, $10.8 million back in 1992 would be equivalent to $25 million. His prime asset at that time was the Brentwood estate purchased in 1977 for $650,000 (approximately $3.5 million today). As part of the divorce agreement, O.J. had a monthly income of $55,000 in 1992 which is about $125,000 today after adjusting for inflation, or around $1.5 million annually. His major income source during this period was the Hertz endorsement contract. To settle the divorce, he agreed to pay Nicole $10,000 monthly for child support along with a one-time payment of $433,750 ($1 million today after adjusting for inflation). Additionally, he granted Nicole a rental property in San Francisco.

In the infamous court case of 1995, Simpson was acquitted of the murder charges related to Ron Goldman and his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson. He was not pursued in civil court by Nicole’s family in order to protect their children from testifying against their father. However, he faced a civil lawsuit from Ronald Goldman’s family and was ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages, which would translate to roughly $65 million in today’s currency with accumulated interest over the years. Despite settling about $500,000 through asset and memorabilia sales, the total owed now stands just below $100 million. O.J. lost almost all his net worth during this legal battle. Post-eviction from his Brentwood mansion in 1997 due to mortgage default, the property was purchased in foreclosure for $4 million and demolished in 1998. Subsequently, he moved to Florida and declared bankruptcy. Living in Florida, he was able to retain his primary residence as state laws protect it from bankruptcy seizures. Following his acquittal, O.J. mainly relied on a secure NFL pension worth up to $5 million, generating approximately $400,000 annually when combined with other pensions. This pension money was shielded from the Goldman family’s claims. O.J. Simpson passed away on April 10, 2024, at the age of 76 after battling cancer.

Foreclosure of the Rockingham Mansion

Back in 1977, O.J. invested $650,000 in a property at 360 N. Rockingham in LA’s Brentwood district. Notably, he wasn’t the initial celebrity occupant of this residence, as the house was previously rented by the popular couple James Taylor and Carly Simon. O.J. and Nicole exchanged vows at this location in 1985.

Fast forward to July 1997 when Simpson’s negligence of $86,000 in mortgage payments led to a foreclosure auction of the estate. The bidding initiated at $1.875 million, and Hawthorne Savings, the lender holding O.J.’s $2,531,259 mortgage, emerged as the owner after offering $2,631,259, an excess of $100,000 over Simpson’s debt. Only one other bidder partook in this brief auction.

The former Brentwood mansion of O.J. sprawled over 6,200 square feet and boasted amenities like a tennis court, an Olympic-sized pool with water features, and an extensive guesthouse complex where Kato Kaelin, a known figure during the murder incident, resided. Subsequently, in July 1998, the property was razed, and a new mansion was erected with a fresh address to deter intrusive visitors. This revamped residence sold for $13.6 million in November 2005.

To assert his innocence post-acquittal, O.J. conducted an extensive tour of the Rockingham estate in 1996. Check out the video tour here:

In 2000, Simpson procured a home in Miami for $575,000. The property, situated at 9450 SW 112th Street, faced foreclosure in 2012 following his daughter’s cessation of mortgage payments while he was detained in Nevada. In 2014, this real estate was purged through a foreclosure auction for $513,000. Subsequently, the estate was demolished in 2023, and by February 2024, the 1.6-acre lot was listed for sale at $2.4 million.

Additional Insights on O.J. Simpson’s Financial Status

#1: A confidant revealed that prior to his ’90s apprehension, Simpson possessed a pension investment account valued at about $2 million. Over the ensuing decades, this fund grew passively, with current estimates placing its net worth between $2 and $5 million. Moreover, he accrued a minor pension from the Screen Actor’s Guild due to his acting roles. The legal protection offered to pension funds shielded this wealth from lawsuits and bankruptcy claims, generating an estimated income of $400,000 annually.

#2: All income earned outside Simpson’s pension was directly allocated to the Goldman family for settling the $33.5 million civil judgment. A substantial portion of this sum, about $500,000, was paid off through a personal items auction in the ’90s.

#3: Speculations persisted about O.J. holding millions in offshore accounts, particularly in the Cayman Islands, a belief harbored by the Goldman family. These rumors received unexpected credence during the 2008 robbery trial where one of the individuals accosted by Simpson and cohorts was overheard on a covert recording divulging:

“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 Days

O.J. Simpson, born Orenthal James Simpson, on July 9, 1947, in San Francisco, bred by Eunice, a medical facility administrator, and Jimmy Lee Simpson, an adept chef and bank custodian. Interestingly, O.J.’s dad, a famed drag artist in the San Francisco Bay vicinity, disclosed his homosexuality and succumbed to AIDS in 1986.

Post his parents’ split in 1952, O.J. was nurtured by his mother. In his adolescent phase, he briefly associated with the street group The Persian Warriors and encountered a brief juvenile detention. An encounter with baseball luminary Willie Mays ignited his aspirations…

After graduating from Galileo High School, Simpson chose to clean up his life and stay out of trouble. He then attended community college before earning a football scholarship to the University of Southern California, where he emerged as a candidate for the Heisman Trophy in his junior year and eventually won the award in his senior year.

NFL Career

Simpson was drafted by the Buffalo Bills as the number-one pick in 1969. He demanded the then-largest contract in pro sports history, $650,000 for five years, leading to a tense standoff with Bills’ owner Ralph Wilson. Threatening to pursue an acting career instead of professional football, Simpson eventually got the contract he wanted. His early years with the Bills were challenging, with an average of only 622 yards per season. However, in 1972, Simpson rushed for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his pro career. The following year, he became the first NFL player to surpass 2,000 rushing yards in a single season. In 1975, Simpson once again led the league in rushing with 1,817 yards and 16 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his 1977 season was cut short due to an injury.

Prior to the 1978 season, Simpson was traded to the San Francisco 49ers, where he played for two seasons before retiring. His final game in the NFL took place on December 16, 1979, in a loss to the Atlanta Falcons, where his last play was a crucial 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. He was also named to the National Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019.

NFL Earnings

When he joined the Bills in 1969, Simpson’s demand for a $650,000 contract over five years, equivalent to $5.5 million today, set a new record in professional sports. Throughout his career, Simpson remained one of the NFL’s highest-paid players. Even in his final seasons, he ranked as the league’s top earner. For instance, in the 1978 season, his salary stood at $733,668, and the following season, during his last in the NFL, he earned $806,668, equivalent to $3.5 million in today’s currency. In 1979, the average NFL salary was $69,000, or $300,000 in present-day terms, with Walter Payton as the league’s second-highest-paid player at $450,000 in 1979.

Nickname

Earning the nickname Juice as a play on O.J., short for orange juice, Simpson became associated with power. This was particularly exemplified during his peak years when the Bills’ offensive line was fondly nicknamed The Electric Company.

Entertainment Career

Alongside his sports journey, Simpson embarked on a successful acting, television production, and commercial endorsement career. Even before retiring from the NFL, he had begun venturing into television and film roles. Notable appearances include films like “The Towering Inferno” (1974), “The Klansman” (1974), and “Capricorn One” (1978). He gained widespread recognition for his role as Detective Nordberg in the “Naked Gun” comedy trilogy (1988-1994). Simpson also graced various television projects, notably featuring in the 1977 miniseries “Roots.” While James Cameron considered him for the lead role in “The Terminator” (1984), the part eventually went to Arnold Schwarzenegger, leaving Simpson out of the cast.

Moreover, Simpson delved into NFL commentary, notably appearing on “Monday Night Football.” He contributed to ABC from 1969 to 1977 and then from 1983 to 1986, followed by a stint at NBC from 1978 to 1982.

Endorsement Deals

Before his NFL career, Simpson had secured a $250,000 annual endorsement contract with Chevrolet. Subsequently, he engaged in numerous endorsement agreements across various products and services. Notable among these were deals with TreeSweet Orange Juice, Pioneer Chicken, and HoneyBaked Ham. However, his most iconic partnership was with car rental giant Hertz, where he served as the primary celebrity endorser from 1975 to 1992. His memorable commercials, featuring him sprinting through airports, became a hallmark of Hertz’s marketing. Simpson raked in millions from this deal, and even post his primary endorser status shift in 1992, he still accrued $45,000 monthly from the company for participating in golf outings. Notably, on the night of the Brentwood murders, he was en route to a Hertz golf event in Chicago. However, following his arrest, he was dropped from the company.

Personal Life

At 19, Simpson married Marguerite Whitley; the couple had three children: Arnelle, Jason, and Aaren Simpson, who tragically drowned in the family’s swimming pool in August 1979.

During 1977, Simpson developed a relationship with nightclub waitress Nicole Brown while still married to Marguerite. Following their divorce in 1979, Simpson wed Nicole in 1985, resulting in two children, Sydney and Justin. Their marriage concluded after seven years, marked by Simpson pleading no contest to spousal abuse in 1989. Despite an attempted reconciliation in 1993, the couple’s divorce was finalized in 1992.

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, who were found stabbed to death outside Nicole’s Brentwood residence on June 12, 1994. Despite being a prime suspect, Simpson did not surrender, eventually prompting a highly publicized low-speed chase by police on June 17th, as he was driven by his friend Al Cowlings in a white Ford Bronco. This event was broadcast live during the 1994 NBA finals to an estimated 95 million viewers.

The subsequent trial of O.J. Simpson became one of the most sensationalized cases in American legal history. After an 11-month legal ordeal, the jury delivered a verdict of not guilty on October 3, 1995, with approximately 100 million viewers tuning in live for the announcement. However, Simpson was later found liable in a civil trial and ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages to the Goldman and Brown families. Up until his death, he had managed to pay around $500,000 of the total. With further accruing interest over time, his debt had escalated to over $40 million.