Paris Jackson’s $600 million court fight centers on the trust her father left for his children
More than 17 years after Michael Jackson’s death, Paris is asking a judge to move money from his estate into a trust for her and her brothers
For Paris Jackson, the court filing is about more than a large number. It asks who controls the money her father intended to provide for his children and when they can rely on it. In a petition filed Oct. 29, Paris asked a Los Angeles judge to order a $600 million transfer from Michael Jackson’s estate to the family trust for her, Prince and Bigi. The judge has not approved the request.
Paris says the trust remains unfunded more than 17 years after Michael Jackson died. Her filing estimates that about $600 million could be transferred after potential liabilities are considered. She also cites an estate accounting showing about $850 million in cash and cash equivalents at the end of 2024.
The request is for the siblings’ shared trust, not a $600 million payment to Paris personally. Under the trust terms described in her petition, the children were to begin receiving income from their shares at 21 , with distributions of the principal scheduled at 30, 35 and 40. Prince is 29, Paris is 28 and Bigi is 24. Paris argues the delay leaves them dependent on executor John Branca to decide when and how much money they receive.
Why the estate says the trust is not fully funded
Paris’s filing points to more than $1 billion in cash generated before taxes and expenses through major estate transactions. Those include the sale of the estate’s interest in EMI Music Publishing for $287.5 million in 2018, the $22 million sale of Neverland Ranch in 2020 and a 2023 Sony deal involving Michael Jackson’s music and other intellectual property that generated $750 million upfront.
The estate says it cannot fully fund the trust until unresolved legal matters are settled, including a dispute with the IRS, which sought $700 million in taxes and penalties.
A spokesperson said a ruling significantly reduced the amount but that the case remains unresolved and could still change. The estate also rejected Paris’s claim that payments were withheld or reduced, calling it “a complete fabrication” and saying more than $200 million had already been distributed for the children’s benefit.
Paris’s spokesperson disputed that response, saying she had asked for a partial transfer and that Branca could have funded the trust earlier.
The disagreement goes to the heart of her filing: Paris argues that some money can be set aside for the siblings while other legal and financial questions remain open; the estate says it cannot fully fund the trust yet.
A broader dispute over the estate’s management
The trust petition is part of a wider conflict over how Michael Jackson’s estate is being managed. In a separate motion, Paris accused Branca of failing to submit complete financial accountings for 2023 and 2024 by a court-ordered deadline.
The estate says the accountings were filed ; Paris’s lawyers say they were deficient. She has also challenged the management fee paid to run her father’s business.
Branca is now the estate’s only remaining executor. Co-executor John McClain died in May. A judge is scheduled to hear Paris’s trust-funding petition and her challenge to the management fee on Dec. 4.
Michael Jackson died in 2009 at 50. Since then, his music and other assets have continued to generate major business deals.
The upcoming hearing will address how much money, if any, should now be moved into the trust and how the estate’s remaining legal obligations affect the children’s access to it.
