Drywall bulge

Hi,
I had the inspection done for a 19-year-old house that I am interested in purchasing.

One issue that was causing concern for me was a bulge in the drywall on a pillar that would be responsible for bearing weight. I have attached photos of the bulge and associated crack below.

We got word just now from the seller that the bulge was there shortly after the house was purchased and it was probably caused by settling.

I wanted to check if it is an issue that could deteriorate or not something I should be that much worried about?
Thanks.

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That’s a pretty good bit of settling there. I would say the wall above the pillar was moving down or the pillar was moving up. If I were there, I would be looking at where the wall meets the ceiling to see if there was a gap opening up there, indicating possible downward movement of the wall or the sheetrock on it. Another place I would look would be the floor to see if I saw signs of uplift at the floor - cracks in the tile or crowning of the floor in that area.

As a buyer I would want to know more as to why the sheetrock is buckling in that location. If your inspector can’t shed more light on it you may wish to consult a structural engineer.