Ever scrolled through your feed and wondered where the "Kardashian" name actually started? Long before the billion-dollar shapewear empires and the Met Gala appearances, there was a man who basically laid the blueprint for the family's proximity to fame. He wasn't a reality star. He was a guy who liked tennis, owned a meatpacking business, and just happened to be the best friend of the most famous murder suspect in American history.
His name was Robert Kardashian.
Honestly, if you only know him from old photos on Kim’s Instagram, you're missing the wildest parts of the story. He wasn't just "the dad." He was a high-powered attorney, a savvy entrepreneur, and a man torn between loyalty to his best friend and his own moral compass.
The Man Behind the Name
Robert George Kardashian was born in Los Angeles back in 1944. He was Armenian-American through and through. His family had a fascinating history—his great-grandparents actually fled what was then the Russian Empire (modern-day Turkey) just before the Armenian Genocide. They came to the U.S. and built a life from nothing.
By the time Robert came along, the family was doing well. They owned a successful meatpacking company called Western Packing. Robert didn't just coast on his parents' money, though. He went to USC, got a business degree, and then headed to the University of San Diego for law school.
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He was a "Crazy" Entrepreneur
Before the world knew him for the courtroom, Robert was a total business shark. His son, Rob Jr., once called him a "crazy entrepreneur." And he wasn't kidding.
- He co-founded a trade mag called Radio & Records in the '70s.
- He later sold it for a massive profit—think $12 million plus.
- He also pioneered the idea of playing music in movie theaters before the film started.
- Basically, he was the guy who invented "Movie Tunes."
The O.J. Simpson Connection
You can't talk about who is Kim Kardashian father without talking about O.J. Simpson. This is where things get heavy. Robert and O.J. weren't just "associates." They were brothers. They met on a tennis court in the late '60s and became inseparable. O.J. was even the best man at Robert’s wedding to Kris Houghton (now Kris Jenner).
When the news broke in 1994 that Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman had been murdered, Robert was one of the first people O.J. called.
The Infamous Garment Bag
There’s this one specific moment that still haunts true crime junkies. On the day O.J. flew back from Chicago after the murders, Robert was caught on camera carrying a bulging Louis Vuitton garment bag away from O.J.'s house.
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The prosecution was obsessed with that bag. They thought it had the murder weapon or bloody clothes inside. Robert never opened it for them. He eventually reactivated his law license—which had been inactive for years—specifically to join O.J.'s "Dream Team." Why? Because as his attorney, he couldn't be forced to testify against him.
He stayed by O.J.'s side throughout the "Trial of the Century," but by the end, he looked like a ghost. He famously had a stunned, almost horrified look on his face when the "Not Guilty" verdict was read. Later, he told Barbara Walters he had "doubts" about his friend's innocence. The two basically stopped speaking after the trial.
Life with Kris Jenner
Robert and Kris married in 1978. They were the "it" couple of the L.A. social scene. They had four kids: Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, and Robert Jr.
But it wasn't a fairy tale. Kris has been pretty open in her memoirs about her affair with a soccer player (whom she called "Ryan" in her book, but was later identified as Todd Waterman). Robert was devastated. He filed for divorce in 1991, and it was messy. He even cut off her credit cards, which Kris says was a huge wake-up call for her.
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The Khloé Rumors
For years, tabloids have pushed this theory that Robert isn't Khloé’s biological father. They point to her height and her look compared to Kim and Kourt. It's a rumor that’s followed the family for decades. However, Robert’s own widow, Ellen Pierson, claimed Robert questioned it, but he loved Khloé so much he refused to ever do a DNA test. To him, she was his daughter, period.
A Life Cut Short
In July 2003, Robert was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. It was aggressive. It was brutal. He died just eight weeks later on September 30, 2003, at the age of 59.
Kim was only 22. She’s often said that her dad’s death was the hardest thing she’s ever gone through. It’s also the reason she’s been so obsessed with law lately. She’s trying to finish what he started, even if her path is a bit more... public.
What You Should Take Away
Understanding Robert Kardashian gives you a lot of context for why the Kardashians are the way they are.
- Work Ethic is Inherited: The family’s "hustle" didn't come out of nowhere. Robert was a multi-industry businessman long before social media existed.
- Loyalty is Complicated: His involvement in the O.J. trial shows a man who valued friendship, perhaps to a fault.
- Heritage Matters: The family’s pride in their Armenian roots comes directly from Robert’s passion for his history.
- Legacy is a Choice: Kim’s move into criminal justice reform is a direct homage to her father’s legal career, attempting to rewrite the "Kardashian lawyer" narrative from "getting a friend off" to "saving the innocent."
If you’re looking to understand the family’s roots deeper, start by looking into the history of the Armenian Genocide or the 1995 O.J. Simpson trial transcripts. You'll see a very different version of the man whose name is now synonymous with modern celebrity.