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Michael Jackson's Mother Katherine Gets Her Challenge Rejected As Court Clears $600M Sale of King Of Pop's Catalog To Sony Music
Michael Jackson's catalog is set to be sold to music giant Sony after court approves a $600 million deal, rejecting mother Katherine's objections.
Recently, a California appeals court ruled in favor of Michael Jackson’s estate, paving the way for a $600 million sale of the late singer’s catalog to Sony Music. This decision was made despite objections from his mother, Katherine Jackson, who argued that the sale was against Jackson's wishes. However, the court determined that the sale was authorized by John Branca and John McClain, the executors of Jackson's estate, under the very broad powers granted to them by his will.
In its final decision, issued after an earlier tentative ruling against Katherine’s objections, the court noted that Jackson’s will empowered the executors to sell assets of the estate, including those involved in this transaction with Sony. Additionally, the court rejected Katherine’s appeal on procedural grounds, citing her failure to present her arguments before a lower probate court, as reported by Billboard.
The lawyers representing Katherine Jackson have remained silent about the judgment rendered by this appellate court. According to the aforementioned outlet, the court stated, "The will gave the executors broad powers of sale, with no exception for the specific assets at issue in this case. As such, [a lower judge] did not err in concluding that it was Michael’s intent to allow the executors to sell any estate assets, including those at issue in the proposed transaction.”
Earlier reports revealed plans for Sony Music to purchase half of Michael Jackson's catalog in a deal valued at over $600 million, first reported in 2022. Since the Beat It singer passed away over fifteen years ago in 2009, his estate has continued to be administered through a Los Angeles probate court. Consequently, Judge Mitchell Beckloff was compelled to grant permission for the undisclosed agreement, which was facilitated by the estate's representatives, trustees John Branca and John McClain.
Katherine Jackson argued that the sale was not in line with Michael’s wishes, as there were possibilities of price increases if the assets were held longer. She claimed that this sale would violate basic inheritance rules since none of the King of Pop's assets could be transferred to his heirs.
However, Judge Beckloff dismissed Katherine's argument in April 2023, allowing the sale to proceed. Katherine then filed another appeal, which led to yesterday's decision reaffirming that “the executors have full power and authority.” The court further noted that the transaction was an asset sale that provided substantial cash income to the estate while maintaining its overall value.
This legal battle has exposed tensions among Michael Jackson’s heirs. For instance, this year Jackson's son Blanket asked the court to stop Katherine from using money from Michael’s trust fund on her lawsuit against Sony. Disagreeing initially with the sale, Blanket and his other siblings later accepted the probate judge’s ruling.
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