• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Current price of oil as of July 1, 2026

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Current price of oil as of July 1, 2026
oj simpson

What Is O.J. Simpson’s Financial Future Now That He’s a Free Man?

By
David Z. Morris
David Z. Morris
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
David Z. Morris
David Z. Morris
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 1, 2017, 3:10 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

O.J. Simpson walked out of Nevada’s Lovelock Correctional Facility a free man Sunday morning after serving nine years for a 2007 botched hotel robbery.

The robbery capped off a decade-long descent into bizarre behavior after Simpson was famously acquitted in 1995 for the murder of his wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman in what became known as “the trial of the century.”

Simpson, once considered an American hero, is now a much-reduced figure both in the public eye, and financially. Back in 1994 when he was at the pinnacle of his career, Simpson was worth an estimated $11 million, according to CNBC. But Simpson’s financial situation has since become a labyrinthine, to say the least: he’s simultaneously collecting a healthy annual income from various pensions, and saddled with an insurmountable debt load that will likely narrow his horizons for the remainder of his life.

Though Simpson was acquitted of criminal murder charges, a 1997 civil case hit Simpson with a total of $33.5 million in punitive damages. When the judgment was handed down, a New York Times reporter observed that “Mr. Simpson does not now have $33.5 million and likely never will.” That remark has proven prescient, and even after forfeiting many personal belongings, Simpson has reportedly paid down very little of the judgment – less than 1% as of 2014, according to Ron Goldman’s sister.

That has left the multi-million-dollar debt to swell over the years as interest accrued. In 2014, when Ron Goldman’s mother offered a portion of the settlement debt at auction, its face value had ballooned from $9 million to $24.7 million. By one estimate, Simpson’s total civil debt has reached $52 million, and Goldman family attorney David Cook recently told Fox News that he will remain relentless in hounding Simpson for payment.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

But the massive debt might not entirely crimp Simpson’s lifestyle now that he’s free. First and foremost, he will receive as much as $300,000 annually in a pension from the NFL, as well as a smaller pension from the Screen Actors Guild. Cook admits that those pension funds are protected from being garnished to pay the civil judgment, just as most retirement funds are protected from creditors. According to one estimate, the total value of Simpson’s protected assets could be as high as $3 million.

It’s unclear whether Simpson will be able to generate additional income now that he’s free, and what might happen to it. There seems little chance he will ever work again as a pitchman or actor. But after his 1995 acquittal, Simpson did move to cash in on his gruesome notoriety with personal appearances and, later, a book entitled If I Did It.

Simpson appears to have set up a shell company to protect earnings from the book, but in 2007, the Goldman family successfully sued for rights to the book and any revenues. They would almost certainly do the same if Simpson were to attempt to work again.

So he might just have to figure out how to live comfortably on a mere $300,000 a year. For the Goldmans and others, that might not sound like justice — but it’s also a far cry from the life that Simpson could have lived. To take just one data point for comparison, Fox recently offered quarterback Jay Cutler — nowhere near as well-known or beloved as Simpson in his heyday — $450,000 a year to work as a commentator.

About the Author
By David Z. Morris
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Mark Zuckerberg, wearing a white shirt, smiles. He is standing in front of a crowd.
SuccessMark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the ‘highest-quality beef in the world’ on his $300 million estate in Hawaii
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 2, 2026
1 hour ago
Chris Hulatt co-founder of Octopus Group
SuccessHow I made my first million
A 2-year taste of the office was enough to make 3 grads quit. Now they run a $13.2 billion investment firm: ‘We didn’t want a traditional job again’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 2, 2026
2 hours ago
A man shaves wood pieces from a block.
EconomyRetirement
Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: Avoid retiring early, study finds
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 2, 2026
2 hours ago
Best checking accounts for July 2026
Personal Financechecking accounts
Best checking accounts for July 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 2, 2026
2 hours ago
h
EconomyJobs
‘More fizzle than sparkle’: June jobs report fails to launch a July 4 firework
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 2, 2026
3 hours ago
From Dow to JPMorgan, these are the most important female exec moves to know
NewslettersMPW Daily
From Dow to JPMorgan, these are the most important female exec moves to know
By Emma HinchliffeJuly 2, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
Big Tech
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 1, 2026
1 day ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
7 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 1, 2026
1 day ago
Trump got a $78K pension from the Screen Actors Guild in 2025 because he appeared in Home Alone 2 in 1992
Politics
Trump got a $78K pension from the Screen Actors Guild in 2025 because he appeared in Home Alone 2 in 1992
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 1, 2026
1 day ago
CEO of $248 billion cybersecurity company says workers are about to face a ‘Darwinian moment’ thanks to AI: Evolve or get cut
Success
CEO of $248 billion cybersecurity company says workers are about to face a ‘Darwinian moment’ thanks to AI: Evolve or get cut
By Emma BurleighJuly 1, 2026
1 day ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
5 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.