When your dad was the King of Pop, the inheritance is hardly likely to be pocket change. But even with hundreds of millions at stake, seventeen years is a long wait.
That’s the frustration behind Paris Jackson’s latest court request. She says the trust her father established for his children still hasn’t been funded, although all three siblings are now adults. She wants a Los Angeles judge to authorize moving $600 million from Michael Jackson’s estate into the trust.
Paris Says the Money Is Overdue
Paris took that request to Los Angeles County Superior Court on October 29, seeking what’s called a preliminary distribution. The proposed recipient is the Michael Jackson Family Trust, which benefits Paris and her brothers, Prince and Bigi.
Why does she say the funding should already have happened? According to the petition, the plan separated the children’s inheritance into two kinds of payments. At 21, each child would become eligible for income generated by their share. They would later receive the principal — the underlying assets — in installments at ages 30, 35 and 40. All three have passed the first milestone: Bigi is 24, Paris is 28, and Prince is 29.
Paris contends that leaving the trust unfunded has effectively put executor John Branca in charge of the siblings’ access to their inheritance, rather than allowing the trust’s payment schedule to operate. The court has not established those allegations as fact.
The $600 Million Question
The size of the request isn’t just a reflection of Paris’s impatience. She argues the estate can fund the trust substantially without leaving its other obligations unpaid.
The petition points to an accounting that put the estate’s year-end 2024 holdings of cash and cash equivalents at about $850 million. Paris’s calculation leaves room for possible liabilities and comes to about $600 million available for the trust.
But don’t picture three $200 million checks. Paris isn’t seeking to wind up the estate or have the entire sum paid directly to the siblings. She wants the money placed under the trust’s administration, with payments then governed by its terms.
That difference can get lost when people talk about an inheritance. An estate and a trust aren’t simply two names for the same pot of money.
The executor handles the deceased person’s estate, including its debts, property, and distributions, under court supervision. A trustee manages property assigned to a trust and follows the instructions in the trust document. Beneficiaries are the people the trust is meant to benefit.
The Estate Pumps the Brakes
The estate’s position is that there is still too much unfinished business to complete the funding. Its response points in particular to a dispute with the Internal Revenue Service. According to the estate, the IRS sought $700 million in taxes and penalties. The estate says it obtained a ruling substantially reducing that amount, but the dispute remains unresolved and the amount could still change.
The estate also rejects the suggestion that beneficiaries have been denied payments or had them cut back. It says payments made for Paris and other beneficiaries have already exceeded $200 million.
Then there’s the disagreement over timing. The estate says the children’s distributions don’t begin until their 30s. Paris’s filing draws a narrower distinction: income was to become available at 21, while installments of principal would start at 30. Those aren’t interchangeable. A beneficiary can receive the earnings from trust property without receiving the property itself.
Likewise, paying expenses or otherwise providing for beneficiaries doesn’t resolve whether assets should be placed in their trust. Paris is seeking partial funding now, while the estate’s response focuses on what must happen before funding can be completed.
Can a Court Order an Early Distribution?
Does unfinished estate business necessarily mean the money has to stay put? California’s preliminary-distribution process allows a beneficiary’s inheritance to be transferred, in whole or in part, before administration of the estate ends.
There is an initial waiting period: A petition generally cannot be filed until two months after the court first issues the documents appointing the estate’s general personal representative.
Here, though, the central question is financial protection, not that waiting period. Under California Probate Code section 11621, the court must approve a preliminary distribution when it appears the transfer can occur without harming creditors, the estate or another interested person.
That means neither side’s headline number settles the issue. Outstanding tax litigation doesn’t automatically rule out a partial transfer. Nor does a large cash balance establish that the estate can spare $600 million. The judge must consider whether enough would remain to protect those with claims against, or interests in, the estate.
Paris has asked for $600 million, but her request also allows for a different amount the judge finds appropriate. The hearing is set for December 4. No ruling has been issued, so the Jackson siblings will be waiting with bated breath.
