‘Persistent Incompetence’: Paris Jackson Asks Judge to Slash Michael Jackson Estate Executor’s Fee to 10%

LOS ANGELES — Musician and model Paris Jackson has launched a major court petition asking a California judge to cut the primary executor’s fee of Michael Jackson’s multi-billion-pound estate by one-third, citing alleged financial accounting failures and persistent mismanagement.

In explosive legal filings submitted to the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday, the 28-year-old singer requested that long-time estate executor John Branca’s compensation rate be reduced from 15% to 10% of the estate’s gross entertainment-related revenue for 2023, 2024, and 2025.

The legal move escalates a long-running courtroom battle between the late King of Pop’s heirs and the estate’s legal executors over corporate transparency, advisory fees, and the commercial oversight of the lucrative catalogue.

Allegations of Accounting Deficiencies

The legal filing, obtained by US trade outlets, accuses Branca and the estate management team of failing to maintain rigorous accounting standards and withholding required financial disclosures from beneficiaries.

In her petition, Jackson contends that the current 15% cut, which yields millions of pounds annually alongside lucrative catalog sales, is no longer justified given what her legal team characterizes as "persistent incompetence" and procedural non-compliance.

"The executor's fee structure must reflect accountability, strict probate compliance, and transparent governance," the petition outlines. "A reduction from 15% to 10% represents a necessary and proper adjustment to align compensation with actual fiduciary performance."

The filing follows a major court victory for Jackson earlier this year, when a Los Angeles probate judge ordered the estate to claw back $625,000 (£480,000) in improper attorney bonus payments that Branca’s team had issued without required prior court approval.

The Estate Responds

Legal representatives for the Michael Jackson Estate quickly pushed back against Jackson’s application, defending Branca’s long-standing stewardship of the music empire.

Since Michael Jackson’s passing in June 2009, when the estate was burdened with over $500 million (£385 million) in debt, Branca and co-executor John McClain successfully transformed the property into one of the most profitable entertainment catalogues in history.

The estate’s recent commercial deals include the historic $600 million (£460 million) sale of a 50% stake in Jackson’s publishing and recorded music catalogue to Sony Music, alongside the global theatrical success of MJ: The Musical and the upcoming Lionsgate biographical film Michael.

"John Branca's leadership has generated unprecedented value for Michael Jackson's beneficiaries, rescuing an estate that was on the brink of bankruptcy," a legal spokesman for the estate indicated in response to the filing. "We fully expect the court to reject these unsubstantiated objections."

Probate Court Outlook

The Superior Court judge is scheduled to review Jackson’s petition during an upcoming probate hearing in Los Angeles, where both parties will submit formal accounting audits and legal arguments.

Should the judge rule in Jackson’s favor, the 5% reduction in executor compensation would save the estate tens of millions of dollars, reallocating those earnings directly into trusts established for Jackson's three children, Prince, Paris and Bigi as well as his mother, Katherine Jackson.