O.J. Simpson’s executor, longtime lawyer Malcolm LaVergne, initially said he hoped the Goldman family would receive “zero, nothing.” But that remark was not a court ruling—and it is no longer the latest word on the estate. The Associated Press later reported that Simpson’s estate accepted Fred Goldman’s $58 million claim. Acceptance does not mean the family has been paid, and the available reporting does not establish a payment date or final distribution.
What did Simpson’s executor say about the Goldman family?
After Simpson died in April 2024, LaVergne told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, as quoted by the Associated Press: “It’s my hope that the Goldmans get zero, nothing.” He added that he would do everything in his capacity as executor or personal representative to try to ensure they received nothing. This was LaVergne’s stated position, not a court decision extinguishing the family’s claim.
Follow-up coverage by the Review-Journal and CBS reported that LaVergne later walked back the remark and said he would work with the Goldmans. The precise wording of that follow-up should not be treated as a direct quotation here.
What is the latest on the Goldman claim?
The Associated Press later reported that Simpson’s estate accepted Fred Goldman’s $58 million claim, rather than the $117 million he sought. Goldman’s attorney told AP that acceptance “does not constitute payment.” It avoids litigation over the claim, but it does not show that money has been transferred or establish when any payment might occur.
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AP also reported LaVergne’s estimate that the estate could total $500,000 to $1 million. That is an estimate, not a completed inventory or a final accounting. The reporting does not establish a final distribution, the amount ultimately available to satisfy claims, or a payment schedule.
Why are there different figures for the award and the claim?
The original judgment and the later claim are related but distinct figures. In 1997, a California civil jury found Simpson liable in the wrongful-death case and awarded $33.5 million to the Brown and Goldman families. The later $117 million was the amount Fred Goldman sought from the estate; AP reported that the estate accepted a $58 million claim. These numbers describe different stages and should not be mistaken for proof of payment.
Simpson had been acquitted of criminal charges in 1995. That criminal acquittal and the 1997 civil finding are separate outcomes in different proceedings.
Who was named to handle Simpson’s estate?
Simpson died on April 10, 2024. His will was filed in Clark County, Nevada, on April 12, and named LaVergne, his longtime attorney, as executor. AP reported that the will placed Simpson’s property into a revocable trust created in January 2024 and named his four surviving children as beneficiaries. AP also reported a clause that would leave a beneficiary who challenged the arrangement one dollar.
An executor administers an estate through the applicable legal process; LaVergne’s reported remarks alone do not determine whether a claim is valid or what assets may be distributed. AP reported that the Goldman and Brown families could have claims against estate assets. The will’s reported terms and the claim’s acceptance do not, by themselves, establish what each beneficiary or creditor will ultimately receive.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the reporting establishes—and what it does not
- Established: LaVergne initially made the “zero, nothing” statement; AP later reported that the estate accepted Fred Goldman’s $58 million claim.
- Not established: that the accepted claim has been paid, the date or amount of any payment, a final estate inventory, or the timing and terms of final distribution.
In 2024, AP also reported that an auction of Simpson’s Heisman Trophy generated $230,000. That sale is a reported asset-related event, not a complete accounting of the estate.
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