When Michael Jackson died in 2009, he left behind a fortune. Despite a years-long battle with the IRS over a disputed tax bill, his estate, valued at anything between $111 million (£85m) (by his family) and $482 million (£368m) (by the US tax authorities), has continued to rake in cash. After his untimely death, it's believed that 40% of Jackson's estate went to his mother Katherine, while 20% went to charity.
The remaining 40% was split among his three children – Prince, Paris, and Bigi. Read on to discover how much the children inherited, what they do today, and the latest dramatic scoop on the ongoing family feud surrounding MJ's estate.
All dollar amounts in US dollars.
Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., known as Prince, is the eldest of Michael's three children. However, far from becoming a stereotypical trust fund kid, the 27-year-old has tried a few different career paths. He's estimated to have a net worth of $100 million (£79m).
Prince (pictured with his sister Paris) initially tried to follow in his father's footsteps by embarking on a career in the entertainment industry. In 2013, he worked as a guest correspondent on Entertainment Tonight and, later that year, made his acting debut with a cameo in the last-ever episode of teen TV drama 90210.
His dabbles with the spotlight ended there. Admitting in an interview with Today that showbiz wasn’t for him, Prince said: "I didn’t get that gene".
Prince does, however, share his father’s passion for activism. After graduating from Loyola Marymount University with a degree in business administration, he co-founded a charitable organisation, the Heal Los Angeles Foundation.
With the aim of combatting child hunger, homelessness, and abuse, the organisation has numerous high-profile ambassadors, including Prince's aunt LaToya Jackson.
MJ's eldest son showcased his entrepreneurial side in 2016 by founding his own media production company, the aptly named King’s Son Productions.
It appears the company has created four music videos: Hold On, Automatic, Rhythm of the World, and Your Look (Glorious), with Prince credited as producer on each. The last of these was a track for The Soundflowers, a musical duo started by Prince's sister Paris Jackson and the musician Gabriel Glenn.
Prince may have put this particular project on hold, however. The company hasn't updated its Instagram since 2017, while its latest music video release premiered in 2020.
In honour of the 40th anniversary of Michael Jackson's hit Thriller, Prince gave a rare interview on the British talk show Good Morning Britain.
While discussing his late father, Prince revealed, "Even now, I’m understanding the full weight of his legacy. As I grow up, as I learn more about his history. His impact is so much deeper than I can fully comprehend."
Though he tends to shun the spotlight, Prince left a lasting impression on viewers, who described him as "well-rounded" and "positive".
Prince grew up at the infamous Neverland Ranch (pictured) with his father and siblings. He now lives in a swanky pad in the Rancho Palos Verdes area of California. According to Variety, the property is estimated to have cost him a cool $2.2 million (£1.7m).
The King of Pop’s eldest son also appears to be a motorcycle enthusiast and regularly flaunts his wheels to his Instagram followers. Prince's favourite seems to be a Harley Davidson Low Rider S, which comes with a starting price of over $17,000 (£13.4k), according to the Harley Davidson website.
Prince also uses his Instagram account to highlight his charity work and share snaps of his various beloved pet dogs.
While Prince is reserved about his private life compared to most celebs, he occasionally offers fans a glimpse into his lifestyle via his Instagram account. He often shares loved-up snaps of himself with his long-time girlfriend, Molly Schirmang.
The jet-setting young couple have travelled all over the world together, with Prince sharing snaps of them in New York, Las Vegas, India, and Japan on Instagram.
Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson is MJ's middle child and his only daughter. The 25-year-old model, actress, and musician's mother is Debbie Rowe, who's also Prince Jackson's mother. Paris is estimated to have a net worth of $100 million (£79m).
Paris has a successful career in the fashion industry and is signed to IMG Models. She's appeared on the cover of magazines such as Vogue and Rolling Stone, and has fronted campaigns for clothing brand Gap.
Following in her dad's footsteps, Paris has also carved out a musical career. She formed a band, The Soundflowers, with ex-boyfriend Gabriel Glenn, and the duo performed for the first time in 2018.
Paris has since gone solo. Her debut album Wilted was released in 2020 to positive reviews. Iconic music titles Rolling Stone and NME gave the 11-track album 3.5/5 and 3/5 stars respectively, with the former noting she had a "pleasant musical voice".
Paris has continued to make a name for herself as a respected musician. She released her three-track alternative EP, The Lost, In February 2022. A slot supporting musician Patrick Droney on his US tour in March 2022 followed, and she also played at the Boston Calling festival that May.
Paris has since taken her music in a new direction with the release of her grunge-inspired anthem Just You.
"I’ve always been interested in making music like this", she said while discussing her single, which dropped in 2022. She followed this up with the release of her single Bandaid last February, describing the track as "the type of music I used to dream of making myself when I was 14 discovering Nirvana and Pixies for the first time.
"Lyrically it's the most raw and vulnerable I've ever been in any of my songs. It's the first track I've truly let loose and yelled on in the studio... and I feel like that's why it had to be the title track for my next record."
It's unclear when her next album will be released, but Paris' music career hasn't stood still.
Last February, the star took to the stage at the Innings Festival at Tempe Beach Park, Arizona (pictured), and appeared with her band at the BottleRock Napa Valley music festival at the Napa Valley Expo in May.
More recently, she performed at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee.
In August 2023, Paris released her second song of the year, Hit Your Knees.
The grunge track was produced and co-written by singer-songwriter Linda Perry of 4 Non Blondes fame as part of her EqualizeHer program, which seeks to tackle gender inequality in music production.
Multi-talented Paris has ventured into acting too. She appeared in 2018's Gringo alongside Hollywood megastars Charlize Theron and Joel Edgerton, as well as in 2021's The Space Between, co-starring Kelsey Grammer.
On the small screen, Paris appeared in VH1's Scream series in 2019 and in 2021 took a key role in American Horror Stories, the spin-off of American Horror Story. Paris revealed her famous godfather Macaulay Culkin, who is also in the American Horror Story cast, helped her prepare for her big audition, telling her to "overact and kind of make it theatrical".
Brands are eager to collaborate with the rising star too. As well as fronting campaigns for Stella McCartney and Calvin Klein, Paris was announced as the brand ambassador of popular vegan make-up company KVD Beauty in 2022. She's now the face of its new Tattoo Pencil Liner product (pictured).
She said about her first-ever beauty brand partnership: "As an artist, I was immediately drawn to KVD Beauty for their commitment to artistry and self-expression, both of which are huge parts of my personal identity."
In December 2022, Jackson became the latest muse of fashion designer Peter Dundas, modelling outfits in a series of stunning pictures for his pre-fall 2023 collection.
"I met her for the first time in Paris during fashion week and completely fell in love with her, and her look, and her personality; she was absolutely lovely", Dundas said of Paris.
Paris has bagged some truly impressive pads as a result of her fortune. In 2017, she reportedly bought a house in California for $2 million (£1.7m). The "hippie" mansion, which has an eco-conscious design, is in the Topanga Canyon area and is said to offer stunning views across the Santa Monica Mountains.
Clearly living it up in the Golden State, Paris recently sold her Topanga Canyon mansion and moved to a $3.8 million (£3m) home with breathtaking views of the Hollywood Hills and nearly 3,000 square feet of living space.
Complete with a swimming pool, art studio and two full baths, the rugged yet sumptuous abode previously belonged to Rock Hudson and, more recently, Maroon 5 keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, who bought it from Canadian singer k.d. lang. This photo from Sotheby's International Realty offers a small glimpse of the luxury Paris now enjoys.
Last year, Paris Jackson's alleged stalker was arrested following multiple incidents of trespassing on her Los Angeles property (pictured).
Ruben Palenco, 37, was apprehended by LAPD on 4 September and charged with four misdemeanours after his repeated visits to Paris' home prompted her security team to call law enforcement.
Palenco had allegedly trespassed on New Year's Day and twice in August before his recent arrest.
Paris is often photographed driving around LA in a Jeep Wrangler (similar to the one pictured). The vehicles retail for around $67,500 (£53.3k).
Paris is a big fan of tattoos – so much so that she has over 80 of them. It's safe to say her penchant for ink will have cost her a fair amount over the years. Her tattoo collection includes an eagle on her ankle and a wolf on her forearm. She also has numerous tributes to her late father inked on her skin, including artwork from the iconic Bad and Dangerous albums.
However, Paris underwent a surprise transformation while attending the 2024 Grammys, concealing all of her tattoos with body make-up for the glamorous event.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Paris said, "I love my tattoos, I love my piercings, and I love all the body modification stuff." She clarified that she concealed the ink to avoid taking attention away from her attire. Paris donned a Celine dress for the evening wanted to give the gown "its own moment." She added that the process of covering her tattoos took several hours.
Prince Michael Jackson II, previously better known by the nickname "Blanket", is Michael Jackson's youngest child. The 22-year-old, who was born via an unknown surrogate in 2002, now goes by the moniker "Bigi".
Unlike his older siblings, Bigi prefers to stay out of the spotlight. He leads a relatively private life and appears to have no personal social media presence. Despite this, he's also estimated to be worth $100 million (£79m).
Bigi has, however, expressed an interest in film and directing as a potential career path. He previously said: "I'm not that kind of person who sings and dances. When I grow up, I want to be a director."
The YouTube channel Film Family, which he runs with his brother Prince, has almost 50,000 subscribers. The Jackson brothers have reviewed several movies via the account, including Birds of Prey and Sonic the Hedgehog. It's been a while since they last shared a review though, their most recent upload was in 2020.
The reclusive Bigi delighted fans with a rare public appearance in November 2021 when he did an on-camera interview to raise awareness about climate change. His late father was also passionate about the cause, singing about it in his 1995 hit Earth Song.
Appearing on the UK talk show Good Morning Britain, Bigi said about climate change: "I do think it's important we all know about it. We have some work to do, but our generation knows how important it is."
On turning 18 in 2020, Bigi purchased a $2.6 million (£2.1m) mansion in the Calabasas area of California. The property has six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and a stack of parking space.
Calabasas is home to some of the world’s biggest stars, such as Kanye West, Drake, the Kardashians, and Will Smith.
In a rare public sighting, Bigi (pictured with Prince) was photographed enjoying a ski holiday in Lake Tahoe, California, in December 2022.
Bigi was spotted enjoying the snow and riding a snowmobile with Paris and Prince. According to People, the trio remains "very close" despite pursuing their own projects.
Bigi has been spotted behind the wheel of a Cadillac Escalade (similar to the one pictured). This luxury car can easily sell for over $68,000 (£53.7k), which the youngest Jackson heir can comfortably afford.
While the Jackson children are currently estimated to be worth around $100 million (£79m) each, their personal fortunes are set to soar.
Sony Music Group recently paid a staggering $600 million (£475m) to acquire half of Michael Jackson's music catalogue, marking the largest deal ever for the work of a single musician.
The MJ estate will retain the remaining 50% stake in the lucrative catalogue. However, the landmark sale hasn't been smooth sailing...
The sale of MJ's music catalogue has sparked a legal feud within the Jackson family. Katherine Jackson (pictured) appealed against the sale to Sony last year, arguing that the estate's executors, John Branca and John McClain, didn't handle the deal with enough diligence. She believed waiting to sell would fetch a higher value and that the estate deserved a premium payment.
However, Branca and McClain defended the sale, claiming it diversified the estate's assets while maintaining control over Michael's music. The named beneficiaries included Jackson's three children and unnamed charities.
During the closing arguments last year, Bigi opposed the estate's proposed transaction with Sony, although all three Jackson children ultimately accepted the sale.
Though the court ruled in favour of Branca and McClain, Katherine continues to fight the sale. In December, she filed motions seeking the Michael Jackson estate to cover the legal costs related to her objections, including those for her ongoing appeal.
However, grandson Bigi has opposed covering her legal costs, expressing concerns about the amount Katherine has spent on lawyers and the slim chance of her appeal succeeding.
Adding to the drama, Katherine's grandson, Taj (pictured), son of Tito Jackson, recently entered the family feud.
He posted a statement on social media in support of Katherine. "Fair warning: Keep badmouthing and throwing low blows at my 93-year-old grandma, and my gloves will come off. Do you really want me to enter this ring? #FamilyFirst."
The impact the feud will have on future Jackson family relations remains unknown, but with the Sony sale almost certain to go through, Michael Jackson's three children can expect a healthy boost to their bank balances in the not-too-distant future.
Now discover the highest-paid dead celebrities in 2024, and find out where their money goes