How much is OJ Simpson's NFL pension?

OJ Simpson’s early release from parole ends another chapter in the former NFL runningback’s life. His NFL pension will continue to provide funds for his living expenses after spending nine years in jail and the next four years on parole until his early discharge on 30 November 2021.

According to the Nevada Department of Public Safety, the former NFL running back is free after the department granted him an early parole discharge two months early on account of good behavior.

OJ Simpson is drawing funds from his NFL pension

In general, pensions are exempt from debt collection and court orders requiring guilty parties to pay damages. David Cook, a lawyer for the Goldman family (the family of Ron Goldman, who was one of the victims in the OJ Simpson murder trial), explained the difficulty of accessing pensions:

“Pensions are bulletproof. Absent divine intervention, they are nearly impossible to topple.”

OJ Simpson reportedly receives money from pensions through the Screen Actors Guild and the NFL. Simpson receives an estimated $25,000 monthly payout from the NFL pension. Under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), creditors cannot access pensions.

Additionally, a unique law in Florida, known as the homestead exemption, allows Simpson to own a home and keep it out of the grasp of creditors. Conversely, California homestead exemption regulations do not offer such protection. Simpson was born in California and spent most of his adult life in the state before the 1994 murders.

In 2007, OJ Simpson participated in a raid at a casino to steal sports memorabilia. The former Buffalo Bills running back claimed that the items in question belonged to him. After his conviction for the Nevada robbery, Simpson served nine years of a 33-year sentence in prison and was released in 2017. He was on parole until November of this year when the parole board held an early discharge hearing.

Long before 2007, OJ Simpson spent most of his life in the limelight, even after a successful NFL career. Although he was a prolific college football star (winning the Heisman Trophy in 1968) and NFL star (inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1985), Simpson also found fame as an actor and spokesperson for companies like Hertz, the rental car company.

In 1995, OJ Simpson had a starring role in the murder trial of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. Simpson pleaded “not guilty” to the murder charges and assembled a superteam of famous defense lawyers, also dubbed “The Dream Team.” The jury acquitted Simpson of all charges, but two years later, a civil court found him liable for wrongful death of Simpson and Goldman, and the court ordered him to pay $33.5 million in damages.

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