‘Make Them Pay’: How Quincy Jones Died Fighting Michael Jackson’s ‘Ungrateful’ Family Over Unpaid Royalties

The entertainment industry lost a legend on Nov. 3, 2024, after music producer Quincy Jones passed away at the age of 91. Jones worked with numerous musicians throughout his career, including Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles and influnced the careers of Frank Sinatra and Aretha Franklin. He also famously produced the late Michael Jackson’s classic albums “Off the Wall,” “Thriller,” and “Bad.” Quincy Jones engaged in a long legal fight against the estate of his longtime musical partner, Michael Jackson, before the iconic producer’s death in Nov. 2024. (Photo: recordingacademy/Instagram; michaeljackson/Instagram) Before his death, Jones was reportedly embroiled in a $30 million legal battle with the Michael Jackson Estate over royalty shares, according to RadarOnline. After MJ died in 2009, the Jackson Estate allegedly negotiated a larger share of the profits from his music with Sony Entertainment that would cut Jones out of the agreement. Jones was offered a $3 million settlement, much lower than the $30 million the Chicago-born composer felt he was owed. “Quincy believes the Jacksons cheated him and he’s going to make them pay. He deserves better treatment from those ungrateful Jacksons!” a source told the outlet in 2013. The insider also stated that Jones saw himself...