A recent court filing by the executors of the late Michael Jackson’s estate disclosed that his daughter, Paris Jackson, has received approximately $65 million in benefits since her father’s passing.
The disclosure was made in an October 9, 2025, court filing as a direct response to a petition Paris, 27, had submitted in June. In her filing, Paris expressed concern and questioned certain payments made by the estate, particularly focusing on the size and justification of legal fees.
In their counter-filing, the executors, John Branca and John McClain, used the $65 million figure to defend their management of the estate.
They argued that “Few have benefited more from the Executors’ business judgment than Petitioner herself,” and asserted that Paris would never have received such an immense sum if they had followed a “typical playbook” for an estate that was more than $500 million in debt at the time of Jackson’s death in 2009.
The executors emphasized their success in turning the assets into a “$2 billion estate” and a “powerhouse.”
Paris’s initial concerns specifically objected to a request for approval of $625,000 in payments to three law firms from 2018, which she alleged were “lavish gratuities bestowed upon already well-compensated counsel” and comprised “premium payments” for unrecorded attorney time.
The executors, however, defended the legal fees, stating the attorneys’ work was instrumental to the estate’s success, and that the bonuses—totaling over $600,000 and subject to court approval were minor compared to the estate’s overall earnings.
In addition to this internal dispute, a separate September court filing by the executors revealed the estate is facing a significant financial threat, as Michael Jackson’s sexual assault accusers, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, are seeking $400 million in damages.
The executors cautioned that failing to pay current legal fees would have “profoundly destabilizing consequences” on the estate’s ability to defend against these substantial lawsuits.
On a non-legal note, Paris and her aunt Janet Jackson publicly embraced and reunited at Paris Fashion Week earlier in the month, despite years of speculation about a strained relationship. Paris is the only daughter of the King of Pop, who also has two sons: Prince, 28, and Bigi, 23.