The estate of O.J. Simpson accepted a multimillion-dollar creditor claim filed by Fred Goldman, the father of Ron Goldman, 31 years after a civil jury found Simpson liable for Ron’s death. Ron died in 1994 at age 25.
Fred submitted the claim in July 2024 for $57,997,858.12, plus judgment interest on the approved amount. The paperwork was filed by estate executor Malcolm LaVergne in the Clark County District Court in Nevada on November 14, according to PEOPLE.
Fred originally sought more than $117 million. Malcolm said in the filing that he believes Fred’s interest calculation, while “done in good faith,” was inaccurate. He said he would “continue to work” with Fred on a “more accurate” computation.
Malcolm stated that the estate plans to pay as much as possible as it auctions off items. He said some items have been stolen from the estate and that he is working with lawyers to recover them. He also said he plans to ask the court to award Ron a fee for advising him on how to run the estate.
The Goldman family attorney, Michaelle Rafferty of Maupin, Cox & LeGoy, said, “The Executor’s acceptance of the claim is a positive acknowledgement of the debt. It does not constitute payment. This acceptance allows the administration of the claim to move forward in probate. We will continue to monitor the probate process as it progresses.”
A criminal jury acquitted O.J. Simpson in 1995 of the stabbing deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson, 35, and Ron Goldman. The Brown and Goldman families then sued the former NFL player the next year. They won a wrongful death judgment worth more than $33 million. O.J. paid very little of it before his death from cancer in April 2024 at age 76.
“He [O.J.] died without penance,” said David Cook, an attorney for Fred. “He did not want to give a dime, a nickel to Fred, never, anything, never.”
Fred stated that news of Simpson’s death served as a difficult reminder. “This is just a reminder for us of how long Ron has been gone, how long we have missed him and nothing more than that,” he said.