Paris Jackson has asked a Los Angeles court to order the preliminary distribution of $600 million from her father Michael Jackson’s estate to the Michael Jackson Family Trust. The petition, filed on October 29, is directed against estate executor John Branca, whom she accuses of controlling when and whether the singer’s three children will receive their funds.
According to the document, the trust intended for Paris and her brothers Prince and Bigi remains unfunded more than 17 years after Michael Jackson’s death. Paris claims that instead of payments being made according to the terms set out in the will, the children receive smaller amounts determined by Branca.
The petition states that Michael Jackson intended his children to begin receiving income from their respective trusts when they turned 21. At 30, each of them was to receive one-third of the principal; at 35, half of the remainder; and at 40, the entire remaining amount.
Prince Jackson will turn 30 in four months. Paris will turn 29 in April, while Bigi will turn 25 in February. Paris claims that control over the payments has been used to discourage the three from raising questions about the management of the estate.
She also states that after she began challenging the management of the assets and certain payments to associates last year, there followed a “vicious legal battle,” public attacks and a multimillion-dollar reduction in the funds provided to her and her brothers. The document calls for this method of management to be ended.
As an argument for the requested distribution, Paris points to proceeds from several major deals. In 2018, the estate sold approximately 10% of its stake in EMI Music Publishing to Sony for $287.5 million. In 2020, Neverland was sold for $22 million, and in 2023 Sony agreed to pay $750 million upfront for 50% of the estate’s remaining intellectual property assets.
According to the petition, these deals generated more than $1 billion in liquid funds before taxes and expenses. The estate reported more than $2.5 billion in gross revenue by December 2024, while its value was estimated at between $2 billion and $3 billion. The document further states that at that time approximately $850 million in cash and cash equivalents were available, and that after accounting for potential liabilities, around $600 million could be distributed.
An estate representative rejected the allegations in comments to Page Six, stating that the trusts cannot be fully funded until several legal disputes are resolved, including the ongoing case with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. According to the estate, the agency had sought $700 million in taxes and penalties, and the settlement reached significantly reduced the amount, but the dispute has still not been finally resolved.
“The claim that the executor withheld or reduced payments is completely fabricated. More than $200 million has already been distributed to Paris and the other beneficiaries or spent for their benefit,” the representative said.
John Branca was hired by Michael Jackson in 1985. He left the singer’s team in 2006 over financial matters but returned eight days before Jackson’s death in 2009. Paris Jackson’s petition is expected to be reviewed by the court, which must determine whether the requested interim distribution can be made without jeopardizing creditors and other interested parties.