Find Out O.J. Simpson's Net Worth at the Time of His Death

Patti Greco

Thu, April 11, 2024 at 4:41 PM UTC

4 min read

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O.J. Simpson

O.J. Simpson, the one-time NFL great who stood trial for and was acquitted of the double-murder of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, died at age 76.

His family broke the news on social media, revealing Simpson's cause of death to be cancer.

"On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer," the statement read. "He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace. The Simpson Family,"

Keep reading for a look back at how Simpson got his start and the net worth he left behind.

How did O.J. Simpson get his start?

O.J. Simpson, born July 9, 1947, was raised by his mother, Eunice Durden, in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Fransisco, Calif. Like any professional football player, he first showed promise on the field in high-school, playing All-City for Galileo. But bad grades kept him from courting the attention of college recruiters, or so the story goes, and he enrolled at City College of San Francisco in 1965, supposedly as a way to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War. It was there, playing running back and defensive back, that Simpson established himself as an athlete to watch. Before long, he had his pick of transfers, and opted to go to the University of Southern California, where he became a star player.

In 1969, he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills, demanding a record-setting contract at the time: $650,000 over five years (that's $5.7 million when adjusted for inflation).

What was O.J. Simpson's net worth at the time of his death?

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Simpson had a net worth worth of $3 million at the time of his death. That's a lot of money by ordinary, non-famous people standards, but far less than Simpson might have been worth had he not gone from football hero to accused murderer.

What football team did O. J. Simpson play for?

Simpson gained fame as a running back in the NFL. He played for nine seasons with the Buffalo Bills, from 1969 to 1977, then for two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. He retired in 1979.

How much did O.J. Simpson make from his NFL pension?

Simpson himself never revealed his income, but ESPN's Darren Rovell once offered up some pretty convincing math, calculating that if Simpson didn't start collecting his pension until he was 65, he'd have been earning $10,565 per month (or over $125,000 per year) from his pension. Sports Illustrated posited a much higher figure of $25,000 per month.

Either way, Simpson made a good chunk of change from his NFL pension, and it was protected by state law from being garnished to pay the tens of millions of dollar he owed the Goldman and Brown families after a jury found him liable for the death of their loved ones in a civil case.

How much did O.J. Simpson have to pay in his civil case?

In 1995, Simpson was famously found not guilty for the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman—but that was in criminal court.

The Goldman and Brown families went on to sue Simpson for the wrongful death of their loved ones in civil court, and in 1997, a jury found him liable for the two deaths. He was ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages.

According to a Nevada court filing from Ron's father, Fred Goldman, in February 2021 (via KTNV Las Vegas), Simpson had paid roughly $133,000 of the settlement up till then.

After Simpson's death, an attorney for Ron's father told The Daily Mail that Simpson's debt had grown to over $100 million with interest, and that he's "going to work on" collecting from Simpson's estate. It's unclear at this point whether that effort will be successful.

How long was O.J. Simpson in jail for robbery?

Simpson spent nine years in jail for kidnapping and armed robbery, after he and five men were caught stealing sports memorabilia worth thousands of dollars from from two dealers at a casino hotel. Simpson was convicted by a Las Vegas jury in October 2008 and released on parole in 2017.