Paris Jackson takes aim at Michael Jackson estate executors over financial mismanagement claims

Paris Jackson accused the executors of her late father Michael Jackson’s estate of mismanaging millions, in legal docs filed in Los Angeles.

Paris, 27, said in a court filing that while administrators John Branca and John McClain have reaped ‘enormous sums of cash’ from the estate of the late Thriller singer personally, they have neglected to properly invest massive sums that could be lucrative to the bottom line.

Lawyers for the daughter of the late King of Pop said that she is ‘increasingly concerned the Estate has become the vehicle for John Branca to enrich and aggrandize himself,’ according to legal docs filed in Los Angeles Superior Court obtained by Daily Mail.

The Los Angeles native said the focus of the co-executors should be to ‘serve the beneficiaries’ best interests and steadfastly preserve her father’s legacy.’

The filing was made after Paris – whose brothers are Prince, 28, and Bigi, 23 –  fell short in a previous legal bid to audit work the executors have done managing the estate’s finances.

Daily Mail has reached out to reps and attorneys for the estate and reps and attorneys for Paris for further comment on this story. 

Specific claims Paris pointed to in her latest legal filing include the co-executors ‘apparently undertaking no effort to’ properly invest $464 million in cash the estate had on hand.

Attorneys for Paris said that the co-executors did not appear to make moves to ‘make this substantial sum productive’ to the estate’s bottom line.

Paris also expressed her ire at the estate’s distribution of money to lawyers handling varied affairs.

In legal docs, Paris said that 10 law firms had been awarded more than $4.5 million in 2021, a sum that exceeded the money given to any ‘individual beneficiary that year.’

Paris said that between 2009 and 2021, executors were paid a total of $148 million.

Michael Jackson died at the age of 50 on June 25, 2009 after suffering cardiac arrest in the Los Angeles mansion he was living in.

Authorities in February 2010 deemed his death as the result of acute propofol intoxication.

Jackson had been administered the powerful drug by his personal doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, who told investigators that the singer called the substance (which he took via an IV drip) ‘milk’ and said he needed it to sleep.

Jackson’s death spurred a tidal wave of international tributes from fans both in person and on burgeoning social media platforms. 

Jackson’s family, including his three children – who had not been seen publicly without masks on prior to that time – was on hand for a highly-viewed July 7, 2009 memorial at the Crypto.com Arena (then known as the Staples Center) in Los Angeles.

‘I just wanted to say, ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine – and I just wanted to say I love him so much,’ Paris, then 11, said at the emotional service.

A private funeral for Jackson’s family and friends was held in Glendale, California at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. 

Eventually, Murray’s care of Jackson fell under scrutiny after the singer’s death, amid questions about his judgment in giving Jackson the substance in certain doses, and not meeting safety precautions in administering the drug. 

Jackson’s death was ultimately deemed a homicide by investigators and in November of 2011 – more than two years after his death – Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years in prison.

Jackson had an unprecedented career in music, as one of the best-selling artists of all-time, who won 13 Grammys over 38 nominations.

Honors included Best Male R&B Vocal Performance on Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough in 1980, Album of the Year for Thriller in 1984 and Record of the Year for Beat It the same year.

He was also given the Grammy Legend Award in 1993, and posthumously, The Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010. He had been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.