Estate of OJ Simpson accepts US$58M claim from Goldmans, but may only pay fraction

FILE- This combo shows O. J. Simpson, left, and murder victims Nicole Brown Simpson, centre, and Ron Goldman, both of whom were murdered on June 12, 1994. O.J Simpson was aquitted of their murder, but will face a civil suit which has been brought by the victims' families and is scheduled to begin Tuesday, Sept. 17. (AP Photo/File)

O.J. Simpson’s estate has accepted a US$58 million claim from the father of Ron Goldman, decades after a jury said the football and movie star was liable for the man’s fatal stabbing.

But it doesn’t mean Fred Goldman will collect anywhere near that much money. The executor of Simpson’s estate said he’s still hoping to round up $500,000 to $1 million in total assets.

“It won’t be $58 million plus interest, but it will be a voluntary payment. That’s the point,” Malcolm LaVergne said Monday.

Simpson died of prostate cancer in 2024 at age 76. He was found not guilty in the 1994 knife slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman, her friend, in Los Angeles.

But Simpson was taken to court again and found liable for the deaths in a separate civil case. He was ordered to pay the families $33.5 million, an award that has grown with interest.

Fred Goldman hounded Simpson for years and contended that he never willingly paid anything.

LaVergne accepted a claim of $58 million, according to a court document filed Friday in Clark County, Nev., but not $117 million, the figure that was sought. Accepting a claim signals there won’t be any time-consuming litigation over it.

Fred Goldman’s attorney, Michaelle Rafferty, said the estate has accepted the claim as valid but “it does not constitute payment.”

“We will continue to closely monitor the probate proceedings,” she said in an email.

Simpson lived in a gated golf course community in Las Vegas after serving nine years in prison for armed robbery, kidnapping and assault, all related to a confrontation with two sports memorabilia dealers in a hotel room. He typically declined to discuss his finances other than to say he lived on pensions.

Ed White, The Associated Press