New court documents have revealed that Paris Jackson has received roughly $65 million from her father Michael Jackson’s estate, a figure that has become central in her ongoing legal dispute with the estate’s executors.
The October 9 filings respond to her objections over what she calls excessive “premium payouts” to attorneys during a six-month period in 2018.
In her petition, Paris’ lawyers argued that three law firms received $625,000 for unrecorded or “uncaptured” time, without adequate explanation for why such time could not be properly documented.
“Even worse, these payments appear, at least in part, to consist of lavish gratuities bestowed upon already well-compensated counsel,” the filing claimed on June 24.
She is seeking to have the 2010 court order allowing executors to pay attorneys without prior court approval rescinded.
The estate pushed back strongly, describing the claims as “knowingly false.” A new motion states, “Bonuses are not paid without consideration; they are paid for extraordinary services and results.” Executors emphasized that attorney bonuses are subject to probate court approval and that payments were granted for work that “cannot be adequately measured or fairly compensated by an hourly rate fee payment.”
The estate’s motion highlighted the success of the executors in turning what was once a heavily indebted estate into a thriving $2 billion business.
“Few have benefited more from the Executors’ business judgment than Petitioner herself, who has received roughly $65 million from the Estate in benefits,” the filing notes. “She would have never received that had the Executors followed a typical playbook for an estate like this one in July 2009.”
The motion also cites previous judicial praise, stating, “The Executors’ business judgment has taken an estate that ‘started out as nothing but debt and substantial ongoing obligations’ and ‘turned [it] into a $2 billion estate’ — an estate that is now ‘a powerhouse and a force in the music business today.’”
According to the estate, the $600,000 in attorney bonuses is minor compared to the nearly $290 million the estate earned in 2018.
Executors argued that Paris’ objections must follow proper legal procedures, citing California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which protects individuals from lawsuits intended to interfere with their right to petition the courts.
“Of course, beneficiaries of the Estate — including Petitioner — can challenge the Executors’ actions or inactions, as they have in the past, including those related to the payment of the Estate’s attorneys,” the motion reads. “All the Executors ask is that Petitioner do so in a procedurally proper way, and not in obvious violation of the anti-SLAPP statute.”
Paris, 27, is one of the primary beneficiaries of her father’s estate, which she shares with her brothers Prince and Bigi.
At the time of Michael Jackson’s death in 2009, the estate was over $500 million in debt and owed money to more than 65 creditors. The executors have since worked to grow the estate into a global brand, with key investments including the sale of EMI shares in 2018 that generated more than $287 million in returns.
As the legal proceedings continue, the October 16 court hearing will be closely watched for developments in the high-profile dispute, which has highlighted both the massive financial scale of Michael Jackson’s legacy and the complexities involved in managing such a globally valuable estate.
