“The death of Michael Jackson and the end of an era, farewell to the legendary king of pop and the icon dies, the myth is born were some of the newspaper epitaphs with which the world woke up on June 25, 2009. The voice of the interpreter of hits such as ‘Billie Jean’ and ‘Thriller’ was fading away at the age of 50 due to acute propofol and benzodiazepine poisoning. It was his personal doctor, Conrad Murraywho found him dying – he barely had a heartbeat – in his North Carolwood Drive home in Los Angeles. He tried to revive him, but was unable to. It should be noted that he was later sentenced to four years in prison for involuntary manslaughter – it was he who administered a lethal dose of anesthetic. He also lost his medical license.
That Thursday in the summer, one of the most successful careers in the history of the music scene came to an end. Not all the accusations that weighed on his back could stop him. Only his death. And while he was achieving everything that any musical star would want – packed world tours, a multitude of awards and an enviable number of sales – information came out that made him live a real nightmare. He went from being a hero to being accused of sexually abusing children. It all began in 1993 when several police officers from Los Angeles went to Neverland after the father of a minor filed a lawsuit against him alleging that he had sexually abused his son. However, after several months immersed in the legal proceedings, the litigant withdrew the lawsuit after reaching an out-of-court settlement that cost the singer 23 million dollars. But far from what he could imagine, it was the beginning of an endless number of accusations that tarnished his reputation.
In 2003, Michael Jackson was already facing seven lawsuits for sexual abuse and two for administering drugs to a minor. However, this time he did not have the same support as in his previous legal battle. At that time, two of his childhood friends, Wade Robson and James Safechuckstepped forward to defend him from the accusations. Later, while the first of them did take the stand to proclaim that he was innocent, the second chose not to do so and this ended their relationship. Note that everything changed four years after the death of the music star when Robson joined Safechuck in his lawsuit against the artist. Both alleged in the HBO documentary ‘Leaving Neverland’ that the interpreter of ‘Beat it’ had sexually abused them when they were seven and ten years old. The Court dismissed the case since the defendant was not alive.
However, last August, a California appeals court ruled that the plaintiffs had the right to be heard in court. Thus, they were against a judge dismissing Robson’s accusation in April 2021. “The evidence shows that the defendants – the musician’s corporate emporium: MMJ Production and MJJ Ventures – had no legal capacity to control Jackson, who had full ownership and sole control of the companies,” the judge ruled. Mark YoungThe new judges ruled that “a corporation that facilitates the sexual abuse of children by one of its employers cannot be excused from an affirmative duty to protect those children simply because it is owned by the perpetrator of the abuse.” “It would be perverse for there to be no duty when the defendant corporation has only one shareholder,” they added. The date for the trial is not known.
It topped the list of the 15 best-selling albums
Even so, 15 years after his death, the figure of Michael Jackson continues to be an inexhaustible source of money. After his death, sales of his creations grew exponentially. In just a few hours, he managed to top the list of the 15 best-selling albums. First place was taken by the 25th anniversary reissue of ‘Thriller’. Simon FoxSony’s CEO, revealed that the King of Pop’s music sales multiplied eighty-fold after his death. In 2023, the Forbes list of deceased artists who earn the most money after their loss places Jackson in first position with an income exceeding 115 million dollars. He managed to return to the top of the podium, after four years, thanks to the reception of ‘MJ: The Musical’ which, at that time, had raised close to 85 million dollars. The sum of money he made with the Cirque du Soleil show ‘Michael Jackson ONE’ also had something to do with it. It is expected that in 2024 he will continue to top the list due to the profits generated by the biographical film that is being prepared.
It has not been possible to estimate the value of his legacy
The feuds surrounding Michael Jackson are not limited to sexual abuse allegations. With his death, a fight began over his millionaire inheritance. As in any battle, there were two sides: the Katherine Jacksonthe singer’s mother, and that of his children, Prince, Paris and ‘Bigi’. Note that they, in turn, are still immersed in trying to access the money that their parent left them and that is included in the will. Three decades after his death, the inheritance remains untouched because they have not yet been able to estimate the value of his legacy. What’s more, the heirs have not been able to reach an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service after an audit found that the assets of the interpreter’s estate were undervalued. Thus, up to 700 million dollars in taxes and penalties are claimed from the successors.
From left to right; Katherine Jackson, Paris Jackson, Prince Jackson and Bigi Jackson
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John Branca and John McClain, those in charge of ensuring compliance with Michael Jackson’s will, have chosen not to proceed with the distribution of the money because they believe that an exact amount cannot be determined. Of course, the sons of the musical star receive, as the executors confessed to ‘People’ magazine, a good pension. For her part, the singer’s mother would have received up to $55 million since the death of her son. Her last conflict dates back to last March, when Bigi urged the court to prohibit her grandmother from using the inheritance money to continue fighting against the executors of the king of pop. They considered that it was a good option to sell part of the artist’s musical catalog – for more than 550 million euros – to boost the amount of his assets. Bigi and Jackson’s mother did not agree and Justice did not rule in favor. her. Katherine wanted to continue with the legal procedure, but the young man believes that it is wasting inheritance money in vain.
