In a new court filing, Paris Jackson has asked a judge to order her late father Michael Jackson's estate to transfer $600 million to a family trust for her and her two brothers, Prince and Bigi.
Paris argued that while the estate has generated billions of dollars since the singer's 2009 death, the trust established for his children has yet to receive its funding. As per documents filed on October 29, the 28-year-old has enquired about a partial distribution of the estate's assets to the Michael Jackson Family Trust.
"More than seventeen years after his passing, Michael Jackson’s family trust remains unfunded," reads the petition. According to the filing, the trust was established for the benefit of Michael’s three children. Under its provisions, the siblings were entitled to income distributions at age 21, followed by staged distributions of principal at ages 30, 35, and 40.
© Getty ImagesParis' filing notes that Prince will soon turn 30, while Paris will celebrate her 29th birthday in April and her younger brother, Bigi, will be 25 in February. According to Michael’s daughter, the unfunded trust leaves the siblings entirely dependent on the discretion of the estate's remaining executor, John Branca, for the timing and amount of their distributions.
The petition asserts that the estate holds ample liquidity from major business transactions and property liquidations to support a partial distribution to the family trust. Cited among these transactions are the 2018 sale of the estate’s EMI Music Publishing interest for $287.5 million, the 2020 sale of Neverland Ranch for $22 million, and a 2023 transaction with Sony involving Michael’s catalog and intellectual property.
© WireImageThe filing claims that the transactions have earned more than $1 billion in cash for the estate before taxes and expenses. Executors have valued the estate at between $2 billion and $3 billion.
Paris’s attorneys also cited an estate accounting showing approximately $850 million in cash and liquid assets as of December 2024. Even after factoring in potential liabilities, the filing states Paris believes roughly $600 million remains available for distribution.
© Getty ImagesParis Jackson's ongoing legal battle over Michael Jackson's estate
According to the filing, Paris alleged that her efforts to challenge the estate's management last year triggered immediate retaliation in the form of public backlash, litigation, and a multimillion-dollar reduction in disbursements to the siblings.
© Getty ImagesAs per People, the Michael Jackson Estate says it cannot fully fund the trusts until several legal matters are resolved, including ongoing litigation with the Internal Revenue Service, which sought $700 million in taxes and penalties.
