New Court Documents Detail How Michael Jackson Died With Over $500 Million in Debt

Michael Jackson accrued a mountain of debt in his life.

People reports that the legendary singer’s estate has filed a petition to be reimbursed for various costs, including legal and other operational expenses from 2018. Court documents obtained by the outlet show that MJ was over $500 million in debt before he died in 2009.

When he passed on June 25, 2009, reports indicated the 50-year-old was deeply in debt, with outlets such as Billboard and The Guardian reporting amounts as high as $400 million to $500 million.

In March 2024, two Michael Jackson estate executives, attorney John Branca and A&R executive John McClain—plus legal counsel Jonathan Steinsapir and Saul Ewing—claimed the estate was mired in debt and approaching bankruptcy at the time of Jackson’s death.

MJ already owed $140 million by 1998. From June 2001 to June 2009, his debt grew to $170 million.

In 2009, the King of Pop owed money to over 65 creditors and had “more than half a dozen lawsuits pending worldwide,” per the filing. The lawsuits stretched across the U.S., Europe, and Japan, and were handled by attorneys for the executors; most were resolved. The estate is now worth over $2 billion.