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17 years after Michael Jackson's death, daughter Paris seeks $600M for trust

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The petition claims that the Michael Jackson Family Trust remains unfunded despite the estate generating billions of dollars from property sales, music deals, and other ventures. Paris Jackson asserts that the estate holds roughly $850 million in cash and cash-equivalent assets as of December 2024, leaving plenty of liquidity after liabilities are accounted for. In response, estate representatives maintain that more than $200 million has already been distributed to support the three heirs. They also argue that the transfer cannot occur while an Internal Revenue Service dispute over roughly $700 million in taxes and penalties remains unresolved.

Key points

  • The late singer's heirs argue that executor John Branca has improperly kept them dependen…: The late singer's heirs argue that executor John Branca has improperly kept them dependent on discretionary payments.
  • Executors counter that the children are not legally designated to receive principal distr…: Executors counter that the children are not legally designated to receive principal distributions from the will until their 30s.
  • The dispute highlights lingering estate governance issues and significant unresolved tax…: The dispute highlights lingering estate governance issues and significant unresolved tax liabilities seventeen years after Michael Jackson died.

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Seventeen years after Michael Jackson’s death, his daughter

Paris Jackson has returned to court with a blunt request: move $600 million from the late singer’s estate into the family trust created for his three children. In a petition filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Paris argues that the Michael Jackson Family Trust remains unfunded despite the estate generating billions of dollars through music deals, property sales and other business ventures, reported LA Times. The estate’s executors have pushed back, saying they cannot fully fund the trusts until several legal matters are resolved, including a long-running dispute with the Internal Revenue Service. According to PEOPLE, the IRS initially sought about $700 million in taxes and penalties, although the estate says a ruling significantly reduced that amount. The matter has not been settled, and the estate argues it could still change.

At the centre of the dispute is a familiar question in celebrity estates: when a fortune grows far beyond what anyone expected, how quickly should the beneficiaries receive what was promised to them? Paris says the answer is now.

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