Overview
- Paris Jackson filed the motion in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday asking a judge to reduce executor John Branca’s compensation from 15% to 10% for 2023, 2024 and each year after until a complete 2026 accounting is provided.
- Her lawyers accuse Branca of “persistent incompetence,” saying he missed a self-selected Sept. 15 deadline and filed incomplete or placeholder accountings for 2023 and 2024 that deny beneficiaries a clear view of estate finances.
- The motion challenges a combined compensation request of about $109,219,648 that Paris says was sought for Branca, his lawyers and the late co-executor John McClain and asks the court to award Paris her attorneys’ fees and costs.
- The Michael Jackson Estate pushed back, calling the motion “completely without merit,” saying executors waived executor compensation and are paid a separate, court-ordered management fee, and a hearing is scheduled for December 4.
- The dispute builds on months of litigation over transparency and payments at an estate once in deep debt that executors grew to an estimated value near $2 billion, and earlier this year a judge ordered $625,000 in bonuses returned to the estate.