O. J. Simpson

The story of late American NFL player O. J. Simpson is a hard pill to swallow as it was a dark time that gripped the national interest and unveiled the real face behind the mask of an NFL superstar. The murder trial of O. J. Simpson not only showed flaws in the U.S. judicial system but also raised concerns for the general public in the community.

Although Simpson was later acquitted not guilty from the murder charges of his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ronald, he was convicted in the civil court resulting in a $33.5 million compensation to the victim’s family. Let us dive deeper into the story and see OJ’s net worth, real estate, bankruptcy act, financial abnormalities, and secrets.    

What Is O. J. Simpson’s Net Worth?

At the time of his death, (April 10, 2024) OJ Simpson’s Net Worth was around $3 million.

The late O.J. Simpson was a retired American professional NFL player, sports commentator, and actor who was charged with two murders back in 1994. Back in 1992 during his divorce petition OJ had a peak net worth of around $10.8 million (worth $25 million today). Simpson aka “The Juice” settled his divorce by agreeing on a one-time payout of $433,750 with $10,000 per month on child support to his wife Nicole.

Simpson’s wealth came in the form of NFL contracts, entertainment career, and endorsement deals. OJ signed with the Buffalo Bills back in 1969 for a $650,000 contract (5 years). Also, his final NFL contract was $806,668 which is equal to $3.5 million today. Off the field, Simpson had a part-time career in TV shows and films appearing in movies like "The Towering Inferno" (1974), Klansman" (1974), and "Capricorn One" (1978), etc.  

O.J.’s net worth was drained during his murder trial and the 2007 Nevada incident pushed his net worth to the brink of collapse. During Simpson’s final days, he wasn’t spending any money and lived a quiet life after he was released from jail in 2017. He was earning around $55,000 as his NFL pension, However, there are reports surrounding his offshore account in the Cayman Islands worth millions of dollars!

What Is O. J. Simpson’s Claim To Fame?

Nicknamed “The Juice”, O. J. Simpson is the only player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a 14-game season. Despite his NFL acclaim and “media star” status, Simpson shocked the news and media world after he was convicted in a murder case of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Lyle Goldman back in 1994. The two individuals were found stabbed to death on June 12, 1994, outside Nicole's Brentwood condo.

Simpson was the first immediately accused felony and was ordered to surrender. However, in a turn of events, OJ and the city police became one of the most highlighted low-speed chase cases as the retired NFL player was chased by the enforcement in his infamous white Ford Bronco. AI Cowlings, a friend of OJ was driving the car as he was forced to do so on the end of a gun pointed by Simpson. The broadcast of the 1994 NFL finals was interrupted as TV stations were broadcasting the chase and around 95 million viewers were watching it live.

Although the court found OJ not guilty of the murder charges, the civil trials convicted him of the case and was ordered to pay $33.5 million to the victim’s family. However, Simson didn’t stick to the court orders and paid only around $500,000 in total stretching over to his time of death.

“The Juice” again made headlines back in 2007 as he was arrested regarding a kidnapping/robbery incident in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was charged with multiple felonies and was sentenced to 33 years in prison. OJ served 9 years behind bars before he was released in 2017 on parole. After his release, the former sportscaster lived a decent life, and later on April 10, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada, O. J. Simpson passed away after battling prostate cancer.

What Businesses and Endorsements Deals O. J. Simpson Was Involved In?

Simpson’s hideous criminal convictions and records did put a huge scar on his career, however after the full-fledged operation on his financial background, he was found to be a savvy businessminded individual.  

• Chevrolet Commercials: Simpson secured his first-ever contract back in 1970 with General Motors worth $250,000 appearing in the Chevrolet Commercials at that time.  
• Hertz Corporation: Oj’s involvement with the Hertz Corporation was the most highlighted deal in his career. He signed a deal with the company as a part of a $12.6 million advertising campaign. Simpson disclosed that he was paid around between $100,000 - $250,000.

Also, the Hertz Rental Car campaign brought 47% higher net profits portraying Simpson’s image.

• TreeSweet Orange Juice Deal: The late NFL player also signed a contract with the TreeSweet Orange Juice company as a chief spokesperson. His earnings from the contract were worth $1 million, plus a percentage of the sales.
• NBC-TV Sportscaster: Due to his inflated image built via the Hertz deal, Simpson cracked a job at NBC-TV as a sportscaster.

Besides all these, OJ was also part of other various deals with companies like ABC, Wilson Sporting Goods, Honey Baked Ham, Pioneer Chicken stores, etc.

How Did O. J. Simpson Spend His Millions?

O. J. Simpson spent his money mostly on real estate and cars. Back in the day, OJ’s Brentwood mansion and his fleet of high-octane cars were proof of his luxury lifestyle and fondness for comfortable living.

How Many Houses Did O. J. Simpson Owned?

In his last days, “The Juice” lived in Las Vegas, Nevada with his son and his family where he was fighting his private battle with prostate cancer. However, in his glory days, Simpson owned a couple of high-profile estates, as mentioned below.

• Rockingham Estate: Mr. Simpson bought the Rockingham estate back in 1977 for $650,000. After the murder conviction, he put the mansion for sale and later sold it to the bank in 1997 for $2.6 million. The mansion was demolished a year later which was worth around $3.95 million at that time.
• Miami House: OJ moved to Miami to preserve his NFL pension from the civil judgment and bought a house in 2000 for $575,000. The property was later foreclosed in 2012 as the retired NFL superstar sat behind bars for his kidnapping/robbery conviction in 2007. The house was later sold by the bank to a local investor for $513,000 in 2012.

How Many Cars Did O. J. Simpson Owned?

Most of OJ’s cars were sports cars but he also owned a few luxury ones and his infamous Ford Bronco as well. Check Stay tuned as we will be back with a separate article on O. J. Simpson’s Car Collection.

• 1985 Ferrari Testarossa: OJ’s Ferrari Testarossa was the most expensive car back he had in that era. He was photographed frequently with the car during his parties and other events. OJ even modded his Testarossa with an Audiovox car phone back in the late ‘80s. However, the current location of the car is still unclear.
• 1988 Bentley Mulsanne: The 1988 Mulsanne was the classiest vehicle in his collection. After his property was seized, Motorgroup LLC ended up purchasing the car in 2018 and put it up for grabs demanding a whopping $350,000.
• Bentley Continental Convertible: After Simpson’s parole release, he was seen driving a black convertible Bentley Continental in 2018. Paparazzi caught him pulling up to a golf club in a Continental which had a disabled pass hanging in its windshield near his home in Vegas.  
• 1992 Ford Bronco: Lastly, the most infamous vehicle in Simpson’s collection was the white 1992 Ford Bronco aka OJ Bronco. It’s the same car that his friend A.C. drove during the most-viewed (95 million live views)thrilling low-speed car chase after the Nicole Brown murder incident. Simpson hid in the back seat while pointing a gun at Cowlings's head.

After the police chase was over, the OJ Bronco went off the grid before appearing again in an episode of the famous “History TV” show “Pawn Stars: Season 14”. Mike, who was OJ’s former agent kept the car hidden in his garage before deciding to show it to Rick from “Pawn Stars”.

What Are O. J. Simpson’s Charitable Contributions And Philanthropy Endeavors?

OJ wasn’t that involved with charity endeavors, however, after his murder trial ended, he tried to save his image by putting up an act at his mansion. Also, days later after his death, some of his belongings went on auction for charity.

• Anti-Violence fund-raiser: In 1996, Simpson organized a private fund-raising event at his mansion where he welcomed 300 guests. However, people gathered outside the mansion in protest of his silly act. The Women’s group present there stated that it was a cynical and shameless act to protect and rebuild his image. Simpson later replied to reporters, “Who can be against stopping violence? This is about saving lives, there have been 1,700 murders since Nicole and Ron, and who cares about those people? This is about stepping in and helping those families.”  
• Bank of America Credit Card auction: Days after the passing of O. J. Simpson, an expired Bank of America credit card formally owned by the NFL player was placed for auction at Goldin Auctions in April 2024. Jonathan Lepore who had the card in his possession from 2023 announced that 10% of the sale price would be donated to the National Network to End Domestic Violence service.

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