Paris Jackson has filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court demanding $600 million from her late father Michael Jackson's estate. The 28-year-old singer accuses longtime executor John Branca of maintaining an "iron grip" over the siblings and preventing them from receiving their inheritance more than 17 years after the King of Pop's death. According to the filing, obtained exclusively by Page Six, the estate has generated billions in revenue while the trust intended for Paris, her brother Prince, 29, and Bigi, 24, remains unfunded.
The petition argues that Michael Jackson's will stipulated his children should begin receiving income from their respective portions of the trust upon turning 21. However, Jackson claims this never occurred, noting that the siblings instead receive smaller amounts determined by Branca. She alleges that Branca uses control over these payments to discourage the family from questioning his administration of the estate. The filing further states that when Paris began challenging the estate's management last year, including objections to what she described as "non-contractual gifts" to colleagues, her concerns were met with aggressive litigation and a multimillion-dollar reduction in funds provided to the siblings.
According to the court documents, Michael Jackson intended for each child to receive one-third of their trust principal at age 30, half of the remaining share at 35, and the balance at 40. With Prince set to turn 30 in four months, Paris argues the estate has sufficient liquidity to fund these distributions while covering outstanding obligations. The filing cites several major transactions as evidence of available funds, including the 2018 sale of a 10% interest in EMI Music Publishing for $287.5 million, the 2020 sale of Neverland Ranch for $22 million, and a 2023 deal with Sony involving a $750 million upfront payment for a 50% interest in remaining intellectual property assets.
The petition notes that these transactions alone generated over $1 billion in pre-tax liquidity. Additionally, the estate reported gross earnings exceeding $2.5 billion through December 2024, with an overall value estimated between $2 billion and $3 billion. As of late 2024, the estate reportedly held approximately $850 million in cash and cash equivalents. Jackson estimates that even after accounting for potential liabilities, roughly $600 million remains available for distribution. She argues that California law favors distributing assets to beneficiaries as soon as possible without jeopardizing creditors, asserting that outstanding tax matters and litigation do not justify holding all assets.
In response, a spokesperson for the Michael Jackson Estate stated that the estate is prevented from fully funding the charitable foundation and individual trusts until legal hurdles are removed, specifically citing ongoing IRS litigation where $700 million in taxes and penalties were sought. The spokesperson called the claim that the executor withheld or "cut" payments a "complete fabrication," noting that while a ruling significantly reduced the tax amount, the matter remains unsettled. The estate expressed hope to resolve all issues so the trusts can be fully funded as Michael intended. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for December.
Sources: Page Six.