Paris Jackson has asked a Los Angeles court to reduce the compensation of John Branca, the executor of her late father Michael Jackson's estate. In court documents reviewed by The Daily Mail, attorneys for the 28-year-old claim Branca has exhibited "persistent incompetence" and missed deadlines for submitting financial statements for 2023 and 2024. The filing states that the "gap between executor's level of compensation and his persistent incompetence is intolerable."
Jackson's legal team proposed reducing Branca's compensation from 15 percent to 10 percent of the gross entertainment-related income for 2023 and 2024, arguing this is the "only remedy that might prove effective in shaping executor's conduct." They further alleged a "longstanding refusal, for the better part of a decade, to prioritize timely and complete reporting" of the estate's finances. According to the filing, this alleged mismanagement has resulted in "time-consuming litigation" and required Paris to "expend time and her own resources trying" to ensure Branca fulfills his duties.
Branca is also reportedly seeking court approval for a compensation payment of over $109 million for himself, his deceased co-executor John McClain, and their law firm for the two years in question. Paris's attorneys are requesting that the court award her legal fees and costs, asserting that her actions are ultimately beneficial to the estate. A spokesperson for Paris Jackson told The Daily Mail that Branca "has repeatedly failed to meet deadlines ordered by the judge that are in place to provide Paris and her siblings visibility about how the estate is being run." The spokesperson added that "money is what motivates executor Branca, this is the only way to enforce the timeline he agreed to."
A spokesperson for Michael Jackson's estate dismissed the motion as "completely without merit" and not based on facts. The estate's representative stated that Branca and McClain "waived" executor compensation from the estate's inception and have never taken any. Instead, they receive a separate, court-ordered management fee for operating "the hugely successful Michael Jackson business." The estate's spokesperson called the motion "nonsensical" for seeking penalties on accountings that have already been filed or are not yet due.
Michael Jackson died in June 2009 at the age of 50. His death was attributed to acute propofol intoxication administered by his personal doctor, Conrad Murray. Murray was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Under Branca's management, the estate's value reportedly increased from $500 million in debt to over $2 billion.
