Paris Jackson has asked a Los Angeles court to force Michael Jackson's estate to hand over $600 million to the family trust set up for his children, arguing the trust has sat unfunded for years. The petition, filed October 29, seeks a preliminary transfer of that sum or whatever amount the court finds appropriate, and it comes without her brothers Prince and Bigi Jackson signing on, even though the trust is meant to benefit all three.
A Solo Filing for a Shared Trust
According to the Los Angeles Times, Paris is asking the court to order the estate's executor to make a preliminary transfer of $600 million, or another amount it deems fit, to the Michael Jackson Family Trust. The 28-year-old filed the petition alone in a Los Angeles state court, while her brothers, 29-year-old Prince Jackson and 24-year-old Bigi Jackson, were not named in it, as reported by The New York Times. Neither outlet's reporting explains why the brothers were left off the filing.
Per the Florida Courier, which first flagged the dispute, the demand puts fresh public scrutiny on how the estate has handled distributions nearly two decades after Michael Jackson's death. The Florida Courier noted the sum would go toward the trust established for the singer's children, not to Paris individually.
Why Paris Says the Trust Is Still Empty
Paris's petition alleges the family trust remains unfunded and claims the estate's executors never followed through on a 2011 promise to file a petition that would begin funding it. The Los Angeles Times reports that, according to Paris, no such funding petition has ever been filed despite that earlier commitment.
The estate pushed back in a statement, saying it cannot fully fund the trust until several legal matters are resolved, including an ongoing case with the IRS, the station's report notes. The estate also said more than $200 million has already been distributed to benefit Paris and other beneficiaries, a figure cited by the same Times account.
Cash on Hand and Conflicting Numbers
Paris's filing claims the estate held about $850 million in cash and cash equivalents at the end of 2024 and estimated roughly $600 million could be distributed once potential liabilities are accounted for, according to CBC News. The estate's executors began generating liquidity in 2011, a process that has included the 2020 sale of Neverland Ranch and a $750 million deal with Sony covering intellectual-property assets, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Accounts differ on exactly when the trust's principal is supposed to be distributed to the children. The Los Angeles Times reported that, according to Paris, each child is entitled to outright principal distributions when they turn 30. The New York Times described the filing as providing for distributions at 30 and again at 40, while CBC reported staged principal distributions at 30, 35 and 40. The discrepancies among the three accounts remain unresolved in the available reporting.
