Last updated on: May 21, 2025
Robert George Kardashian was a prominent American attorney and businessman. Most are familiar with him due to his part in the highly publicized O. J. Simpson trial. He was also the father of Kim Kardashian and her siblings.
Quick Facts About Robert Kardashian
| Full Name | Robert George Kardashian |
| Birthdate | February 22, 1944 |
| Death Date | September 30, 2003 |
| Age at Death | 59 years old |
| Occupation | Attorney, Businessman |
| Husband/Wife | Kris Jenner (m. 1978–1991) Jan Ashley (m. 1998; annulled) Ellen Pierson (m. 2003) |
| Education | B.S. in Business Administration – USC J.D. – University of San Diego School of Law |
| Parents | Arthur Kardashian, Helen Kardashian |
| Siblings | Tom Kardashian, Barbara Kardashian |
| Children | Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, Rob Kardashian |
| Known For | Defense attorney in O. J. Simpson’s 1995 murder trial |
| Net Worth (at death) | Estimated around $30 million USD |
| Ethnicity | Armenian-American |
| Nationality | American |
Let’s discover more about his life, career, and legacy.
Early Life and Family
Robert Kardashian was born on February 22, 1944, in Los Angeles, California. He was from an Armenian-American background. His family was affluent and operated in the meat industry.
Robert grew up in the neighborhood of View Park in Los Angeles. He was a very smart student and studied hard at school.
Robert attended Susan Miller Dorsey High School. After finishing high school, he attended the University of Southern California (USC). He received a business degree in 1966. Subsequently, he obtained his law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law.
Career in Business and Law
Initially, Robert was a lawyer. He practiced law for approximately 10 years. Afterwards, he entered business.
He also co-founded a business firm named Radio & Records in 1973. It was a music industry trade magazine. The business firm turned out to be a huge success and was sold in 1979.
He even founded other companies. These were:
- A juice bar or frozen yogurt shop named Juice Inc.
- A music video firm named Concert Cinema
Robert even worked on some of these ventures with his friend, O. J. Simpson.
Friendship with O. J. Simpson
Robert got to know O. J. Simpson in the 1970s. They were close friends. In 1995, O. J. was accused of murdering his former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.
Though Robert had hung up his attorney’s hat, he reinstated his license in order to assist in defending O. J. He joined the legal team.
Robert appeared frequently with O. J. throughout the trial. Robert even allowed O. J. to stay in his home prior to the beginning of the trial. On one famous occasion, Robert was photographed with a bag that possibly contained vital evidence.
Marriage and Children
Robert Kardashian wed Kris Jenner in 1978. The couple had four children:
Robert and Kris divorced in 1991. Kris went on to marry Bruce Jenner (now Caitlyn Jenner).
Robert married again twice. In 1998, he wed Jan Ashley, but the marriage was short-lived. He married Ellen Pierson in 2003, weeks before he died.
Death
Robert was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in July 2003. Unfortunately, the cancer advanced very quickly. He died on September 30, 2003, at the age of 59.
He is buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in California.
Legacy
Robert Kardashian gained popularity with many due to the O. J. Simpson case. However, he is also remembered as the father of the popular Kardashian family.
His children went on to become celebrities on reality TV show Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Through them, the name Robert continued to stay in the public domain.
In 2016, he was acted by David Schwimmer in the television series American Crime Story: The People v. O. J. Simpson. This educated younger generations about him.
