Paris Jackson Asks a Judge to Order $600 Million Paid Into Michael Jackson's Family Trust, Accusing Executor John Branca of an 'Iron Grip'
The petition, filed Oct. 29 in Los Angeles Superior Court, says the trust for Jackson's three children remains unfunded more than 17 years after his death. The estate calls the claim that payments were cut 'a complete fabrication' and points to IRS litigation.
Paris Jackson is asking a Los Angeles judge to order her late father's estate to pay $600 million into the Michael Jackson Family Trust, arguing there is no legitimate reason the money hasn't moved more than 17 years after the singer's death, Page Six reported Nov. 2 after obtaining the filing.
The petition was filed Oct. 29 in Los Angeles Superior Court and is scheduled for a December hearing, according to Page Six. The claims in it are allegations by Jackson, 28, and have not been decided by the court.
<h3>What the petition says</h3>
Jackson asks the court to order a preliminary distribution of $600 million, or whatever amount the judge finds appropriate, to the family trust meant to benefit her and her brothers, Prince, 29, and Bigi, 24. She says that even though the estate has generated billions of dollars and built up hundreds of millions in cash, the trust remains unfunded, Page Six reported.
The filing targets executor John Branca, an attorney and chairman of The Michael Jackson Company, accusing him of keeping an 'iron grip' over the siblings by controlling when, and whether, they receive money from their father's estate.
Branca was first hired by Michael Jackson in 1985, resigned from Jackson's team over financial matters in 2006, and rejoined in 2009, eight days before Jackson died, according to Page Six.
<h3>The will and the timeline</h3>
Michael Jackson's will said his children should begin receiving income from their portions of the trust when they turned 21. Paris Jackson says that never happened and that they instead receive smaller amounts set by Branca, Page Six reported. She alleges Branca uses control over those payments to discourage the siblings from questioning how he runs the estate.
According to the filing, Michael Jackson intended each child to receive one-third of the principal in their trust at 30, half of the remainder at 35, and the balance outright at 40. Prince turns 30 in four months. Paris turns 29 in April, and Bigi turns 25 in February.
The petition also says that when Paris Jackson began challenging the estate's administration last year, including objecting to what she described as Branca's 'non-contractual gifts' to colleagues, she was met with 'scorched earth litigation,' public attacks and a multimillion-dollar reduction in the money provided to her and her siblings. 'This course of conduct and administration should not continue,' the petition states.
<h3>The money at issue</h3>
The filing points to several big transactions, Page Six reported: the estate's 2018 sale of its roughly 10 percent interest in EMI Music Publishing to Sony for $287.5 million, the 2020 sale of Neverland Ranch for $22 million, and a 2023 deal in which Sony agreed to pay $750 million upfront for a 50 percent interest in the estate's remaining intellectual property.
Those deals alone produced more than $1 billion in pre-tax, pre-expense cash, according to the petition. The estate has reported more than $2.5 billion in gross earnings through December 2024, and its value is estimated at $2 billion to $3 billion. As of December 2024, it reportedly held about $850 million in cash and cash equivalents.
Jackson estimates that about $600 million is available to distribute even after accounting for potential liabilities. Her petition argues California law favors distributing estate assets to beneficiaries as soon as that can be done without jeopardizing creditors, and that nearly all significant creditor claims and lawsuits have been resolved or disposed of favorably, Page Six reported. She is also asking to be reimbursed for legal fees from estate assets.
<h3>The estate responds</h3>
A spokesperson for the Michael Jackson Estate told Page Six that Jackson's lawyers know the estate 'is prevented from fully funding the charitable foundation and the individual trusts for the beneficiaries until several legal hurdles have been removed, including in particular the ongoing IRS litigation, where they sought $700 million in taxes and penalties from the Estate.'
'While we were able to secure a ruling to significantly reduce that amount, the matter has not been settled and could still change,' the statement said. 'Further, the claim that the executor has withheld or "cut" payments is a complete fabrication. More than $200 million has already been distributed to or for the benefit of Paris and the other beneficiaries.'
The estate said it 'looks forward to the time when all issues are resolved so that the charitable foundation and trusts can be fully funded as Michael wanted.'
<h3>Background</h3>
Michael Jackson died June 25, 2009, at age 50. He named his family trust as the sole beneficiary of his estate, with Branca also named as trustee, Page Six reported.
<h3>What's next</h3>
The petition is set for a hearing in December. The core dispute is timing: Jackson argues the estate has more than enough cash to fund the trust now while still covering what it owes, and the estate argues the unresolved IRS case means it can't. A judge will decide whether any preliminary distribution happens, and how much.
