Highlights
- Paris Jackson has asked a Los Angeles judge to order Michael Jackson’s estate to transfer £447 million to a family trust for her and her two brothers.
- She claims the trust has remained unfunded for more than 17 years, despite the estate generating billions of dollars since the singer’s death in 2009.
- The estate says outstanding legal matters, including a dispute with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS), must be resolved before the trusts can be fully funded.
Paris Jackson is seeking a £447 million transfer from her late father Michael Jackson’s estate, arguing that she and her two brothers have waited more than 17 years for their family trust to receive its funding.
In a court filing dated October 29, Paris, 28, asked a Los Angeles judge to order a partial distribution of the estate’s assets to the Michael Jackson Family Trust. She claims the estate has generated billions of dollars since the King of Pop died in 2009, but the trust intended to provide for his children remains unfunded.
The trust was established for Michael’s three children, Prince, 29, Paris and Bigi, 24. According to the filing, the siblings were supposed to begin receiving income from their respective shares when they turned 21. They were also due to receive portions of the money held for them at 30, followed by further distributions at 35 and 40.
However, Paris argues that these arrangements have not happened as her father intended.
“More than seventeen years after his passing, Michael Jackson’s family trust remains unfunded,” the petition states.
Prince is approaching his 30th birthday, while Paris turns 29 in April and Bigi turns 25 in February. Paris argues that the delay has left the siblings dependent on the estate’s remaining executor, John Branca, to decide when and how much money they receive.
Why Paris Jackson believes £447 million is available
Paris’ legal team argues that the estate has generated substantial cash through business deals and property sales, making a partial transfer to the family trust possible.
Among the transactions cited in the petition are the sale of the estate’s interest in EMI Music Publishing for approximately £214 million in 2018, the sale of Neverland Ranch for around £16 million in 2020 and a 2023 deal with Sony involving Michael’s music and other intellectual property.
According to the filing, these transactions generated more than £746 million in cash for the estate before taxes and expenses. The estate has also previously been valued at between £1.5 billion and £2.2 billion.
Paris’ lawyers point to an estate accounting showing approximately £634 million in cash and cash-equivalent assets as of December 2024. After accounting for potential liabilities, they believe around £447 million could be available for distribution.
The petition also refers to a promise made by the estate’s executors in 2011, when they told the court they were considering a separate request to distribute money. Paris’ legal team alleges that the application was never filed.
Michael Jackson’s estate disputes Paris’ claims
The latest filing follows a wider disagreement between Paris and the estate over the management of her father’s finances.
Paris alleges that after she began challenging the estate’s administration last year, her objections were met with public criticism, litigation and a multimillion-pound reduction in the money provided for her and her siblings.
However, the estate says several outstanding legal matters must be resolved before the trusts can be fully funded. These include an ongoing dispute with the IRS, which initially sought approximately £522 million in taxes and penalties.
In a statement to PEOPLE, the estate said it had secured a ruling that significantly reduced the amount, but the matter remained unresolved and could still change.
The executors also denied withholding or reducing payments to the beneficiaries, describing the allegation as “a complete fabrication”. They said more than £149 million had already been distributed for the children's benefit.
The estate further pointed to Michael’s will, stating that “None of his children receive a distribution until they are in their 30s”.
A spokesperson for Paris disputed the estate’s response, arguing that Branca had the ability and obligation to partially fund the trust earlier.
“The Estate is once again deflecting from its own incompetence. Paris called for the trust to be partially funded, something Mr. Branca had the ability and obligation to do long ago. After years of delay, Paris had no choice but to step in herself,” the spokesperson told PEOPLE.
The dispute follows another legal challenge involving the estate earlier this year. In May, a Los Angeles judge ruled that approximately £466,000 in bonus payments made by the executors to outside law firms in 2018 must be returned to the estate after upholding Paris’ objection.
The estate’s lawyers said they disagreed with the decision but respected the ruling. They also stressed that the bonus payments had not gone to the executors themselves.
Michael’s estate has been managed by Branca and John McClain since they were appointed co-executors following the singer’s death on June 25, 2009, aged 50. McClain died in May 2026, leaving Branca as the remaining executor.
A judge is scheduled to hear Paris’ latest request on December 4. She is asking for an order directing a £447 million transfer to the family trust, or another amount the court considers appropriate.
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