Paris Jackson is asking a Los Angeles court to order a $600 million transfer from her late father’s estate into the Michael Jackson Family Trust, a move that has reopened a long-running fight over how the King of Pop’s fortune has been handled since his death in 2009. Her petition says the estate has earned enormous sums, yet the trust meant to provide for his children still has no money in it, according to People’s report on the filing.
The estate pushes back hard. It says unresolved tax litigation stands in the way and that large sums have already been paid out for the children’s benefit.
Paris Jackson’s $600 Million Request at a Glance
| Detail | What We Know |
|---|---|
| Who filed | Paris Jackson, 28 |
| Where | Los Angeles court (filed October 29, 2026; reported November 2) |
| What she wants | A $600 million transfer into the Michael Jackson Family Trust, or another amount the judge finds appropriate |
| Who must act | John Branca, the estate’s remaining executor |
| Who benefits | Michael’s three children: Prince, Paris and Bigi |
| Next step | Court hearing on December 4, 2026 |
| Status | A request only. No judge has approved it. |
What Is Paris Jackson Asking the Court to Do?
Paris wants a probate judge to direct Branca to move roughly $600 million into the Michael Jackson Family Trust as a partial distribution. If the judge thinks a different figure is more appropriate, the petition leaves room for that. Branca became the sole executor after co-executor John McClain died in May 2026.
Her lawyers lean on an estate accounting that showed about $850 million in cash and cash equivalents at the end of 2024. After allowing for possible liabilities, Paris believes about $600 million could be released.
That number is a proposal, not a payout, and the estate has already challenged the reasoning behind it.
Why Does Paris Jackson Say the Michael Jackson Family Trust Is Still Unfunded?
Michael died on June 25, 2009, and his estate started out under heavy financial pressure. Since then, the filing says, a series of deals has brought in a great deal of money. Yet more than 17 years later, Paris argues, the Michael Jackson Family Trust has never been funded.
She also points to a statement the executors reportedly made in 2011, when they told the court they were weighing a separate request to distribute money. Her lawyers say that request was never filed.
The timing matters because the beneficiaries are now adults. Under the trust’s terms, as described in the filing, each child was supposed to start receiving income at 21, with portions of the principal following at 30, 35 and 40.
| Beneficiary | Age Now | Where They Stand on the Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Prince Jackson | 29 | Approaching 30 |
| Paris Jackson | 28 | Turns 29 in April |
| Bigi Jackson | 24 | Turns 25 in February |
Paris also claims that after she began challenging the estate’s management last year, her objections were met with public criticism, litigation and a multimillion-dollar cut in the money provided to her and her brothers.
How Much Money Has Michael Jackson’s Estate Generated?
The petition highlights several big transactions that created cash for the estate.
| Deal | Reported Detail |
|---|---|
| EMI Music Publishing stake | Sold for $287.5 million in 2018 |
| Neverland Ranch | Sold for $22 million in 2020 |
| Sony music deal | Sony bought half of the estate’s music publishing and recorded masters catalog, reported at about $600 million |
A California appeals court cleared the Sony sale in August 2024, as Music Business Worldwide reported, rejecting objections from Michael’s mother, Katherine Jackson.
According to the petition, those deals brought in more than $1 billion in cash before taxes and expenses, and the executors have previously valued the whole estate at between $2 billion and $3 billion. Those are Paris’s figures and the executors’ past valuations, not a ruling on what is available today. Cash on hand, total value and money that can safely be distributed are three different things, and the gap between them is at the heart of this fight.
What Does Michael Jackson’s Estate Say?
| Paris Jackson’s Side | The Estate’s Side |
|---|---|
| About $850 million in cash at the end of 2024 means a partial payment is possible. | The trusts cannot be fully funded until legal matters are settled, especially the IRS dispute. |
| The executors had the power and duty to fund the trust years ago. | The IRS sought $700 million in taxes and penalties. The estate says it won a ruling that cut that amount, but the case is not settled. |
| The family has been left waiting on the executor’s decisions. | The estate says more than $200 million has already been paid out for the beneficiaries’ benefit. |
| Payments to her and her brothers were reduced after she objected. | The estate calls that claim “a complete fabrication” and says none of the children receives a distribution until their 30s. |
A spokesperson for Paris answered that the estate is deflecting from its own failings, and that Branca could and should have partially funded the trust long ago. These are competing positions, and no court has ruled on them yet.
What This Means for Paris Jackson’s Inheritance
The petition does not say Paris has been cut off entirely, and the $600 million would not go into her personal account. The money would go into the Michael Jackson Family Trust, which exists for all three of Michael’s children under the terms of his estate plan.
So headlines about Paris Jackson’s inheritance or net worth can mislead. This filing does not establish her personal wealth, and the $600 million figure is not hers alone.
Paris Jackson’s Earlier Fight With the Estate
This is not her first clash with the executors. In May 2026, a retired judge who oversees the case sided with her objection to $625,000 in bonuses paid to outside law firms in 2018 and ordered the money returned to the estate, as ABC News reported. The estate’s attorneys said they disagreed but would comply, and stressed that the bonuses did not go to the executors themselves.
The new petition builds on that wider argument about oversight, spending and how quickly money reaches the family.
When Will the Court Decide?
The judge will hear Paris’s request on December 4, 2026. The court will weigh the estate’s cash position, its remaining obligations, including the IRS case, and the terms of the trust. It could grant the request, order a different amount, ask for more information or turn it down. Until then, nothing has been approved.
FAQs About Paris Jackson and the Michael Jackson Family Trust
How much money is Paris Jackson asking for?
About $600 million, to be moved from Michael Jackson’s estate into the Michael Jackson Family Trust, or another amount the judge decides is appropriate.
Who benefits from the Michael Jackson Family Trust?
Michael’s three children: Prince, Paris and Bigi Jackson.
Is the $600 million going straight to Paris Jackson?
No. The request is for a transfer into the family trust, which is meant to benefit all three siblings under staged distribution rules.
Has the court approved the transfer?
No. A hearing is set for December 4, 2026, and the judge has not decided.
Why does the estate say the trust is not fully funded?
It points to unresolved legal matters, especially the ongoing IRS dispute, and says funding will follow once those are settled.
A Fight Over When the Michael Jackson Family Trust Gets Funded
The new filing puts one question back before a judge: when should the wealth generated by Michael Jackson’s estate flow into the trust built for his family? Paris Jackson says the wait has gone on far too long, while the estate says tax matters make full funding premature. The December 4 hearing is the next big step, but it will not settle every disagreement on its own.
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Faizullah Baig
Entertainment & Digital Culture Writer at WordPlay2018
Faizullah Baig is a writer at WordPlay2018 covering entertainment, celebrity news, movies, television, pop culture, and digital trends.
His work focuses on explaining current entertainment stories in a clear and reader-friendly way, with attention to the details behind trending headlines.
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Faizullah primarily covers:
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