Paris Jackson is once again challenging the administration of Michael Jackson’s estate, asking a Los Angeles probate judge to order the transfer of approximately $600 million into the Michael Jackson Family Trust, arguing that her father’s children have waited more than 17 years for the trust to be properly funded.
In a petition filed on October 29, Paris argues that the estate has generated billions of dollars since Michael’s death in 2009, yet the family trust remains unfunded. She believes the estate has sufficient cash to begin transferring money while still maintaining reserves to cover outstanding liabilities.
The latest filing places renewed attention on executor John Branca, who has managed Michael’s estate alongside John McClain since 2009. Following McClain’s death in May 2026, Branca is now the sole remaining executor.
What Is Paris Jackson Actually Asking For?
Paris is not asking for $600 million to be handed directly to her personally.
Instead, she wants approximately $600 million transferred from Michael Jackson’s estate into the Michael Jackson Family Trust, which is designed to benefit his three children, Paris, Prince and Bigi, as well as other beneficiaries under Michael’s estate plan.
According to her court filing, Michael intended his children to begin receiving income from their respective trust shares when they turned 21. They were also supposed to begin receiving portions of the principal at 30, followed by additional distributions at 35 and 40.
Paris argues that these arrangements have not been implemented as intended because the trust has never been properly funded.
Her petition states that Prince will turn 30 in February 2027, making the issue particularly pressing as the first major age-based distribution milestone approaches.
The 2011 Promise That Never Materialised
One of the most significant elements of Paris’ filing concerns what happened back in 2011.
At the time, Michael Jackson’s executors informed the court that they were contemplating and intended to file a separate petition for preliminary distribution.
The estate had already announced a $30 million preliminary distribution to the Michael Jackson Family Trust, following the successful restructuring of debts and the generation of substantial income after Michael’s death.
The executors indicated that more money would follow.
However, according to Paris’ latest court filing, the promised follow-up petition was never presented to the court.
Fifteen years later, Paris is questioning why the executors have still not submitted a comprehensive plan to fund the Michael Jackson Family Trust.
Her legal team argues that the estate has had ample opportunity to distribute a significant portion of its wealth while protecting itself against future liabilities.
Why Paris Says $600 Million Is Available
Paris’ attorneys point to the enormous financial success of Michael Jackson’s estate since 2009.
Among the major transactions cited are the sale of the estate’s interest in EMI Music Publishing, the sale of Neverland Ranch and the landmark Sony transaction involving Michael’s music and intellectual property assets.
According to the petition, these transactions generated more than $1 billion in proceeds before taxes and expenses.
The filing also references an estate accounting showing approximately $850 million in cash and cash-equivalent assets at the end of 2024.
After taking potential liabilities into consideration, Paris believes approximately $600 million could be distributed into the family trust.
Her position is that the estate does not need to wait until every remaining legal matter has been concluded before making a partial distribution.
She also argues that outstanding liabilities could be protected through appropriate agreements with the trustee and, if necessary, the beneficiaries.
John Branca’s Response: The IRS Dispute Is Not Over
The Michael Jackson Estate has strongly rejected Paris’ argument.
In a statement reported by PEOPLE, the estate said that its legal team is well aware that the charitable foundation and individual beneficiary trusts cannot be fully funded until several legal hurdles have been removed.
The principal issue is the ongoing dispute with the Internal Revenue Service.
The IRS originally sought approximately $700 million in taxes and penalties from Michael Jackson’s estate following a disagreement over the valuation of his assets at the time of his death.
The estate successfully obtained a ruling that significantly reduced the amount claimed by the IRS.
However, according to the executors, the tax dispute has not been fully settled and the amount could still change.
The estate maintains that it cannot responsibly transfer the entire amount requested while such substantial financial uncertainty remains.
It also rejected Paris’ allegation that payments to beneficiaries had been withheld or reduced, describing that claim as a complete fabrication.
The executors stated that more than $200 million has already been distributed to or spent for the benefit of Paris and the other beneficiaries.
They also stressed that Michael’s will does not provide for his children to receive outright distributions until they reach their 30s.
Paris Pushes Back: The IRS Cannot Explain Everything
Paris’ representatives have rejected the estate’s explanation.
They argue that the executors have had the ability and obligation to partially fund the trust long before the current dispute.
Her spokesperson said:
“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 central disagreement is therefore not simply about whether the IRS case remains unresolved.
It is about whether that outstanding tax dispute genuinely prevents the estate from transferring a substantial amount of money into the family trust, or whether the executors could have made meaningful distributions years ago while retaining sufficient reserves.
Paris believes the estate has the financial capacity to do so.
Why Is Michael Jackson’s Estate Still Under Court Supervision?
For anyone unfamiliar with the legal situation, there is an important distinction between Michael Jackson’s estate and the family trust that is supposed to receive the assets.
When Michael died on June 25, 2009, his will was admitted to probate in Los Angeles.
The will directed that his estate ultimately pass into the Michael Jackson Family Trust, which was established to provide for his mother, his children and charitable beneficiaries.
However, the transfer of assets from the estate into the trust has never been completed.
The estate has remained under probate court supervision because substantial assets have not yet been distributed, principally due to the IRS tax dispute and other litigation.
This is why, despite Michael’s extraordinary financial success after his death, his estate remains legally open more than 17 years later.
It is sometimes described informally as being on “probation,” but the more accurate legal description is that the estate remains in probate and subject to court supervision.
In a 2024 appellate opinion concerning the estate, the court explained that no estate assets had been distributed to the trust because of the IRS tax dispute and other litigation, leaving Michael’s assets within the estate and subject to probate court supervision.
For Paris, this is precisely the problem.
She believes the estate should have progressed much further towards distributing Michael’s wealth and funding the trust years ago.
Another Legal Challenge Against the Estate
This latest petition follows several disputes between Paris and the estate’s administration.
Earlier this year, Paris successfully challenged approximately $625,000 in bonus payments made in 2018 to outside law firms working for the executors.
A Los Angeles judge ruled that the payments must be returned to the estate after sustaining Paris’ objection.
The executors disagreed with the ruling but said they respected the decision.
Paris has also raised concerns about legal expenses, estate transparency and the management of beneficiary payments.
The latest filing represents another attempt to force greater accountability and progress in the administration of her father’s estate.
What Happens Next?
Paris is asking the court to order the transfer of approximately $600 million into the Michael Jackson Family Trust, or another amount the judge considers appropriate.
She is also seeking reimbursement of her legal fees and costs.
The matter is scheduled to be heard on December 4, 2026.
The judge will ultimately have to consider whether the estate has sufficient available funds to make a substantial distribution while protecting itself against the unresolved IRS dispute and other outstanding liabilities.
For now, neither side has secured a final resolution.
Seventeen Years Later, The Question Remains
Michael Jackson’s estate has achieved extraordinary financial success since his death.
His music, catalogues, films, merchandise and intellectual property continue to generate substantial revenues, while major business transactions have transformed the estate from a financially distressed operation into one of the most successful entertainment estates in history.
Yet the family trust intended to receive his assets remains unfunded.
Paris Jackson’s latest legal action raises a question that has followed the estate for years: if the executors were already discussing preliminary distributions in 2011, and the estate now holds hundreds of millions of dollars in cash, why has the family trust still not received a substantial transfer?
The IRS dispute remains a genuine legal issue, and the court will ultimately determine whether Paris’ proposed distribution is appropriate.
But for Michael Jackson’s children, the question is no longer simply about how much money their father’s estate has generated.
It is about when the financial arrangements Michael established for his family will finally be put into effect.
The December hearing could become another significant moment in the long-running battle over the administration of Michael Jackson’s estate.
Sources: PEOPLE, TheWrap, The New York Daily News, TMZ, The Mix, Los Angeles Superior Court and California Court of Appeal.
