The legal battle surrounding Michael Jackson’s estate has reached a new high-water mark. On October 29, the late Pop King’s 28-year-old daughter, Paris Jackson, filed a formal petition in Los Angeles Superior Court demanding that $600 million be transferred from the estate into a designated family trust created to benefit herself and her brothers, Prince Jackson, 29, and Bigi Jackson, 24.
According to court filings obtained by People, the estate plan established by Michael Jackson was designed to provide his three children with structured income beginning at age 21, alongside principal disbursements at ages 30, 35, and 40.However, Paris argues that 17 years after her father’s passing, the family trust remains completely unfunded despite the estate generating billions through major asset liquidations.
The petition highlights several monumental commercial deals executed by longtime executor John Branca, including the sale of the estate’s interest in EMI Music Publishing, the sale of Neverland Ranch, and a landmark catalog deal with Sony Music. Paris’s legal team points out that these transactions generated over $1 billion in cash, with official estate accountings showing $850 million in cash equivalents at the end of 2024. The filing contends that at least $600 million could easily be transferred into the trust after reserving funds for lingering liabilities.
Paris further alleges that disbursements to her and her siblings were arbitrarily reduced after she began challenging the estate’s financial management. In a statement addressing the pushback, a representative for Paris argued:
“Executor Branca had the ability and obligation to partially fund the trust years ago,” maintaining that ongoing delays forced Paris to seek judicial enforcement.
Representatives for the Michael Jackson Estate forcefully denied the allegations, calling claims of reduced beneficiary payments “a complete fabrication” and confirming that over $200 million has already been distributed for the beneficiaries’ benefit. The estate maintained that full trust funding remains paused due to unresolved, high-stakes tax litigation with the Internal Revenue Service, which originally sought $700 million in taxes and penalties.
“None of his children receive a distribution until they are in their 30s,” the estate rep stated, emphasizing that the will mandates staged distributions during the heirs’ third decade.
The new $600 million petition comes directly on the heels of another filing by Paris accusing Branca of “persistent incompetence” regarding financial accounting deadlines. A formal court hearing on Paris’s $600 million request is officially scheduled for December 4, 2026.
