How much money did OJ Simpson make while he was in prison?

A new ESPN report on OJ Simpson’s net worth and his NFL pension earnings sheds considerable light on the man’s estimated net worth as of 2017. According to that report, OJ’s pension has netted him between $430,000 and $600,000, depending on when he chose to start receiving it.

It’s actually easy to calculate how much money OJ earned since beginning his prison sentence eight years ago–all the information regarding NFL pensions is public. The formula breaks down like this:

O.J. played in the NFL from 1969 to 1979.

NFL players who played before 1982 get a pension credit of $250 per season per month. Multiplying that by his 11 seasons, that’s $2,750 a month.

As part of a settlement in 2011, former players were given an extra payment of $124 per month per season in seasons played before 1975 and $108 per month per season in subsequent years. O.J. played six seasons before ($124 x 6 = $744) and five seasons after ($108 x 5 = $540) 1975. That’s another $1,284.

Adding $1,284 plus $2,750, that’s $4,034 a month.

However, one thing we don’t know is exactly when OJ chose to start collecting checks. The date is relevant because, although OJ was eligible beginning at age 55, players who wait until the age of 65 receive a multiplier of 2.619–or a grand total of $10,565 per month.

So, if OJ–who turned 70 on July 9th–began receiving his NFL pension at age 55, he would have made $4,034 per month for the 105 months he was in prison–or a total of $432,570. However, if he held out, the $10,565 check multiplied over 57 months in jail after his 65th birthday would have netted OJ a grand total of $602,205.

Of particular interest for the OJ Simpson net worth 2017 is the fact that the pension is “protected by state law” and thus exempt from the $40 million civil judgment that the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald L. Goldman won against Simpson in 1997. It’s also worth pointing out that, at the time that ruling was handed down, Simpson was believed to be earning $25,000 per month from his pension fund–a figure we can now definitely say was inflated.

(Photo credits: OJ Simpson net worth 2017 via Judy Eddy / WENN.com)