Paris Jackson has petitioned a Los Angeles court to force a $600 million partial distribution from the estate of her late father, Michael Jackson, to a family trust for her and her brothers, arguing that the fortune remains largely inaccessible more than 17 years after the singer’s death.
Forbes estimates the estate is now worth more than $2 billion. It generated about $140 million over the past 12 months from music sales, live shows and a Hollywood biopic. Jackson remains one of the world’s most popular recording artists, with his catalog and related businesses ranking him second only to Jay-Z among living musicians if he were still alive.
Paris Jackson, 28, one of Jackson’s three children, filed the petition in early November. She claims the estate has not transferred almost any assets into the Michael Jackson Family Trust, which is intended to benefit her, her older brother Prince, 29, and younger brother Bigi, 24, along with their grandmother Katherine Jackson and a 20 percent charitable allocation.
According to the filing, estate records show approximately $850 million in cash reserves — enough, she argues, to fund a partial distribution while covering outstanding obligations. She is asking a judge to order the transfer of $600 million or another amount the court deems appropriate.
“Vast estates that have complex assets or that are involved in litigation may stretch well beyond the standard one to two years [of probate],” said Roee Kaufman, a partner at Keystone Law Group specializing in probate. “But even by that measure, 17 years is still an extraordinarily long time.”
The sole remaining executor, entertainment lawyer John Branca, has managed the estate since Jackson’s death in 2009. A spokesperson for the estate rejected the claims.
“Ms. Jackson’s counsel is well aware that the estate is prevented from fully funding the philanthropic giving and individual trusts for the beneficiaries until several legal hurdles have been removed, including in particular the ongoing IRS litigation,” the spokesperson told Forbes. “The claim that the executor has withheld or ‘cut’ payments is a complete fabrication.”
The estate said more than $200 million has already been distributed to the beneficiaries, including about $70 million to Paris, a figure her team disputes. It also faces an unresolved tax dispute with the Internal Revenue Service stemming from valuations at the time of Jackson’s death.
A spokesperson for Paris Jackson countered that Branca has used estate funds for personal expenses and delayed funding the trust despite having the ability and obligation to do so.
“No rhetoric can hide the fact that Mr. Branca has used estate funds to create a lavish lifestyle complete with charging personal trips on private jets to the estate,” the spokesperson said. “This wasteful spending and financial mismanagement flies in the face of his fiduciary duty to the beneficiaries and has gone unchecked for too long.”
Under Jackson’s will, the children are to receive distributions from the trust in stages at ages 30, 35 and 40. Branca is also designated as trustee, meaning he would continue overseeing the assets after probate concludes.
The petition is the latest in a series of legal challenges by Paris Jackson seeking greater transparency and changes to estate management. A hearing is expected in the coming weeks.
