The Michael Jackson Estate has generated billions since the King of Pop’s death, but his daughter Paris Jackson says one part of his financial legacy remains unfinished.
The 28-year-old wants $600 million transferred into a trust for herself and her brothers, Prince and Bigi, setting up another high-stakes confrontation with the man overseeing their father’s fortune.
The dispute comes despite a judge praising the estate’s financial transformation and a record-breaking movie celebrating Jackson’s life.
Paris Jackson Wants $600M Moved Into Her Father’s Family Trust
In an October 29 petition, Paris asked a Los Angeles court to order a preliminary distribution to the Michael Jackson Family Trust, according to PEOPLE.
She claims the trust remains unfunded more than 17 years after Michael died in 2009, despite a 2011 indication from executors that they intended to seek a distribution.
An estate accounting showed approximately $850 million in cash and equivalents at the end of 2024, her filing says. Paris argues roughly $600 million could be transferred while retaining enough to cover outstanding liabilities.
The money would not land in her personal account. Michael’s trust reportedly provides income to each child from age 21, followed by principal distributions at 30, 35 and 40. Prince is 29, Paris is 28, and Bigi is 24.
None has reached the age for principal distributions. Paris instead wants their father’s trust funded so its instructions can operate as intended.
Michael Jackson Estate Rejects Claims It Withheld Family Money
The estate insists there is a significant obstacle to distributing the funds: unresolved litigation with the Internal Revenue Service.
In a statement to TMZ, representatives explained that the IRS originally sought approximately $700 million in taxes and penalties. Although the estate secured a ruling reducing that figure, the case remains unresolved.
The estate also called accusations that it withheld or reduced beneficiary payments “a complete fabrication,” maintaining that more than $200 million has already been spent or distributed for their benefit.
Paris’ representatives dispute that explanation. They say a partial trust transfer could have been made long ago and accuse executor John Branca of delaying the process.
The distinction matters: money spent for beneficiaries is not necessarily the same as money transferred into the family trust. A court will have to weigh both the remaining liabilities and Paris’ request.
Michael Jackson Estate’s Billions And Blockbuster Movie Add To Tensions
The numbers are staggering. Michael died carrying hundreds of millions in debt, yet Forbes estimates his estate has generated more than $3.5 billion since 2009.
Branca helped build the enterprise through licensing and major sales, including a $750 million publishing deal in 2016 and a reported $600 million Sony music-rights transaction in 2024. He remains sole executor following John McClain’s death in May 2026.
The musical “MJ: The Musical” and Cirque du Soleil’s “Michael Jackson ONE” continue extending the singer’s legacy.
Then came the film “Michael,” starring Jackson’s nephew and Paris’ cousin Jaafar Jackson. The biopic crossed $1 billion worldwide in July, becoming the first biographical film to reach that milestone, according to TheWrap.
However, Paris publicly challenged its accuracy, calling aspects of the story “sugar-coated” and alleging her feedback on an early script was ignored. The Los Angeles Times reported her criticism, while her brother Prince served as executive producer and other relatives praised the production.
The film’s success has not settled the family disagreement over his legacy.
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Paris Jackson Won A $625K Ruling Despite Judge’s Praise For Executors
Paris has already secured a concrete victory in her fight over estate spending.
In an April 29 ruling made public in May, retired judge Mitchell Beckloff ordered $625,000 in bonuses paid to outside estate lawyers returned after finding the payments insufficiently justified.
As Rolling Stone reported, Beckloff required tighter oversight of future bonuses.
The decision was not a wholesale condemnation of Branca’s management. The judge also commended the executors for turning an estate once close to bankruptcy into a financial powerhouse for the family.
Now the arguments have moved to even larger figures.
Paris is challenging approximately $109 million in combined compensation requested for Branca, the late McClain and associated legal services, and wants a management-fee rate reduced from 15% to 10%, according to Rolling Stone.
The estate rejects her characterizations and says the executors receive a court-approved management fee rather than ordinary executor compensation.
New Spending Complaints Complicate The $600M Trust Showdown
In separate filings, Paris has also questioned private-jet expenses, approximately $604,850 in allegedly unexplained costs, and missing financial details for 18 estate-owned companies, TMZ reported.
Her legal team previously sought roughly $1.16 million in costs following the bonus ruling. Branca argued that some bills concerned unrelated proceedings.
Even a proposed compromise involving Bigi’s attorney faltered. The estate claims Paris rejected negotiated accounting safeguards; her representatives counter that proposed exceptions would have weakened them.
A December 4 hearing will address her request to move $600 million, or another amount the judge finds appropriate, into the trust.
For Paris, the fight is about enforcing her father’s instructions. For the estate, it is about protecting a complex fortune while tax and legal disputes continue. Whether the court sees room for both remains the unanswered question.
