Paris Jackson has filed a court petition seeking the transfer of $600 million from her late father Michael Jackson’s estate into a family trust intended for her and her two brothers. The filing, submitted on October 29, 2026, in Los Angeles Superior Court, accuses longtime executor John Branca of withholding the children’s inheritance more than 17 years after the King of Pop’s death.
In the documents, obtained by Page Six, the 28-year-old singer and actress argues that the Michael Jackson Family Trust remains unfunded despite the estate generating billions of dollars since Jackson’s death in June 2009. Paris claims there is no legitimate reason the money has not been transferred. She is asking a judge to order a preliminary distribution of $600 million or another amount the court deems appropriate—to the trust that benefits her, Prince Jackson, 29, and Bigi Jackson, 24.
About the Petition
According to the petition, Michael Jackson’s will stipulated that his children should begin receiving income distributions from their respective shares of the trust at age 21. Additional principal distributions were scheduled to start at ages 30, 35, and 40. Paris contends that this schedule has never been followed. Instead, the siblings have received smaller amounts of money determined by Branca, who she alleges maintains an “iron grip” over when and how much they receive.
The filing points to the estate’s significant financial success. It cites the 2018 sale of the estate’s roughly 10 percent interest in EMI Music Publishing to Sony for $287.5 million, the 2020 sale of Neverland Ranch for $22 million, and a 2023 deal with Sony involving Jackson’s music and other intellectual property that included a $750 million upfront payment.
These and other transactions generated more than $1 billion in cash for the estate before taxes and expenses. Executors have previously valued the overall estate at between $2 billion and $3 billion.
An estate accounting referenced in the petition showed approximately $850 million in cash and cash-equivalent assets as of the end of December 2024. Paris estimates that after accounting for potential liabilities, roughly $600 million remains available for distribution. She also seeks reimbursement of her legal fees and costs from estate assets.
Branca, an attorney and chairman of The Michael Jackson Company, has long managed the estate. He first worked with Jackson in 1985, left over financial disagreements in 2006, and rejoined the team in 2009 just eight days before the singer’s death. He and the late John McClain served as co-executors until McClain’s death in May 2026, leaving Branca as the sole remaining executor.
The estate has rejected the accusations. A spokesperson stated that the executor cannot fully fund the individual trusts for the beneficiaries or the related charitable foundation until several legal hurdles are resolved. The primary obstacle cited is ongoing litigation with the Internal Revenue Service, which at one point sought approximately $700 million in taxes and penalties from the estate.
The spokesperson also said more than $200 million has already been distributed to Paris and the other beneficiaries or for their benefit, calling claims that payments have been withheld or reduced “completely unfounded.”
The Latest Petition
This latest petition continues a series of disputes between Paris and the estate’s management. In late October 2026, she separately challenged a request for nearly $109.2 million in combined compensation for Branca, his lawyers, and the late McClain for work in 2023 and 2024. She described the fee request as “particularly offensive” and accused Branca of “persistent incompetence” related to incomplete financial accountings.
She asked the court to reduce the management fee rate from 15 percent to 10 percent of the estate’s gross entertainment-related income.
A hearing on Paris’s request for the $600 million transfer is scheduled for December 4, 2026, before a Los Angeles judge. The case highlights ongoing tensions over the management of one of the most valuable celebrity estates in history, which has continued to generate substantial revenue through music catalogs, licensing deals, and other assets long after Michael Jackson’s death.
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