O.J. Simpson’s Estate has officially agreed to pay $57 million to Ron Goldman’s dad, Fred Goldman, 31 years after Ron’s death and almost a year after O.J. died.
Well, it finally happened. Thirty-one years, countless headlines, endless documentaries, and more debates than any family dinner could survive. And now, O.J. Simpson’s estate has accepted pay $57 million to Ron Goldman’s father, Fred Goldman. Yes, 57 million. Not 5. Not 7. Fifty Seven Million Dollars. It’s the kind of number that makes your brain blink twice.
The whole situation feels like a plot twist from a very long TV show that refuses to end. You think the series finale aired, but no, here comes a bonus episode. And this episode features a giant invoice.
Malcolm LaVergne — the Simpson estate executor — filed court documents earlier this week in which he accepts Fred’s creditor claim in the “amount of $57,997,858.12 (U.S.), plus judgment interest on the approved amount.”
Goldman originally asked for north of $117 million … but, LaVergne argues that — despite what he sees as a good faith effort on Goldman’s part to determine an accurate amount — the interest hasn’t been calculated correctly.
Finally, it’s been done!
LaVergne says he’s declined a majority of creditor claims … accepting just Goldman’s and the IRS claim. He says he’s prioritizing paying off Uncle Sam before anyone else — including the State of California. He says the state will have to sue for the “approximately $636,945” he says they filed a claim for.
Remember … O.J. was acquitted on the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman — Fred’s son — in 1995 in a highly controversial trial. However, the Goldmans took Simpson to civil court the following year where he was found liable for Ron’s death. They were awarded more than $33 million, but O.J. only paid a very small fraction of the judgment.
Fred Goldman, however, has never stopped pushing. He has spent decades fighting for his son, showing a level of patience that deserves its own award. Maybe even a statue. And now, according to reports, the estate is finally being pressed to cough up the money. Better late than never, right? Even if “late” in this case means an entire generation has grown up, had kids, and learned how to file taxes.
So here we are. Thirty-one years later. A headline nobody expected to see again. And a reminder that time may pass, but some things never go away.
