A legal battle over Michael Jackson’s multimillion-dollar estate has escalated into a true inheritance thriller. Paris Jackson, representing herself and her brothers Prince Michael and Bigi, has filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court accusing executors John Branca and John McClain of enriching themselves with hundreds of millions from the “King of Pop’s” estate.
According to the complaint, the executors delivered the 2021 accounting documents four years late and failed to properly invest large amounts of cash. Paris argues that the estate “has become a vehicle for John Branca to benefit himself rather than act in the best interests of the beneficiaries and faithfully protect her father’s legacy.” The executors reject the accusations, calling them a desperate attempt by Paris’s legal team after losing a previous round in court, where judges ruled in favor of Branca and McClain and ordered Paris’s side to pay the opposing party’s legal fees.
They insist that all beneficiaries are “well provided for” and point out that Paris has already received around $65 million from the estate. However, the lawsuit claims Branca and McClain received more than $10 million in compensation in 2021 alone — more than double what any beneficiary received that year. Paris also estimates that from Michael Jackson’s death until 2021, the executors received a combined total of $148.2 million, far exceeding the amounts distributed to the siblings. The complaint further alleges that the executors are holding more than $464 million in cash, generating returns of less than 0.1 percent due to “unproductive investments,” which Paris says could have earned over $41 million if handled properly.
She also expresses concern over allegedly risky entertainment investments, particularly the upcoming biographical film Michael, for which Branca serves as executive producer. Paris states that the estate has yet to release the accounting reports for 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, accusing the executors of stalling to continue high-risk financial decisions. She is now asking the court to require a “truthful accounting” of all their actions. The next hearing is scheduled for January 13, 2026.
