Paris Jackson Seeks $600 Million Distribution from Michael Jackson Estate

Paris Jackson, daughter of the late pop icon Michael Jackson, has filed a petition in Los Angeles County Superior Court requesting a $600 million preliminary transfer from her father's estate to a family trust. In the filing, Jackson alleges that the estate's executors have failed to properly fund the trust, which was intended to benefit herself and her two brothers, Prince and Bigi.

The petition claims that the executors have kept the funds under an "iron grip" for fifteen years, despite expectations that the trust would be funded following the singer's death in 2009. According to the filing, Michael Jackson intended for his children to begin receiving income from the trust upon reaching the age of 21, with further principal distributions scheduled when they turned 30. Prince and Paris are currently 29 and 28, respectively, while Bigi is 24.

Paris Jackson argues that the estate has generated significant liquidity through major transactions, including the 2020 sale of Neverland Ranch and a 2023 deal with Sony for intellectual property assets valued at $750 million. She estimates the total value of the estate to be between $2 billion and $3 billion, asserting that there is sufficient cash available to meet the requested distribution while still addressing outstanding obligations.

Representatives for the estate have strongly denied the allegations, characterizing the claim as premature due to ongoing legal matters, specifically a dispute with the Internal Revenue Service regarding $700 million in taxes and penalties. While the estate noted that it secured a ruling to reduce that liability, it maintains that the matter remains unresolved and prevents the full funding of the trust at this time.

Furthermore, the estate's spokesperson rejected claims that payments to the children had been withheld or reduced, stating that more than $200 million has already been distributed for their benefit. The estate also disputed accusations regarding the conduct of executor John Branca, describing the legal challenges as baseless and noting that the executors have waived traditional compensation in favor of court-approved fees.

Beyond the request for the $600 million transfer, Paris Jackson has also challenged the compensation sought by the estate's management, arguing that fees should be reduced due to missed reporting deadlines. The court is scheduled to hear the latest arguments regarding the petition this Wednesday as the legal battle over the management of the late singer's fortune continues.