Estate planning lessons from the $600M fight over Michael Jackson’s music catalog

Michael Jackson performs in concert circa 1986.& Kevin Mazur/WireImage via Getty Images by Reid Kress Weisbord, Rutgers University – Newark and Naomi Cahn, University of Virginia When Michael Jackson died in 2009, he left a complicated legacy. But one thing remains true: The King of Pop’s music still generates millions of dollars every year. A Jackson biopic is expected in 2025, and “MJ,” his Broadway show, has brought his music to theaters worldwide. But despite the ongoing success of Jackson’s music, his estate has stalled in limbo for more than a decade. That’s because of a long-running tax dispute concerning more than US$700 million alleged to be due to the IRS and other legal challenges. The latest development in the saga came on Aug. 21, 2024, when a California appellate court approved a US$600 million sale of assets proposed by Jackson’s estate. As law professors who teach trusts and estates, we think Michael Jackson’s estate offers a lesson for anyone thinking about writing a will – even if they don’t have King-of-Pop-level wealth. The mother and the multinational When Jackson signed his will in 2002, he left almost everything to his children through a trust; his mother has a small...