Paris Jackson is taking her fight with the man overseeing her late father's fortune to another level, challenging a staggering £81.5 million ($109.2 million) in combined compensation involving the estate's management and legal representatives over just two years. The 28-year-old has accused estate executor John Branca of submitting inadequate financial disclosures to justify the payments.
However, the Michael Jackson estate has fiercely rejected her allegations, insisting that her latest legal challenge is completely without merit. The dispute has reignited questions over the fees paid to those managing the late singer's multimillion-pound business empire.
Paris Challenges Huge Estate Fees
In a court filing submitted in Los Angeles on 23 October and reported on 28 October, Paris questioned a request for approval of $109,219,648.27 (£81.5 million) in combined compensation involving the estate's management and legal representatives across two accounting years. Her legal team argued that the documents provided to explain the payments were incomplete, describing them as 'defective filings' that failed to meet the executor's disclosure obligations.
The filing also accused Branca of repeatedly avoiding his responsibility to provide proper financial information, making the latest request particularly concerning. Paris argued that asking the court to approve such an enormous amount without adequate supporting details was unacceptable, especially given the scale of the estate's finances and the responsibility involved in managing her father's legacy.
She Wants His Cut Reduced
Paris is not simply asking for a better explanation of the money, as she also wants a change to Branca's compensation arrangement. Her legal team has requested that the disputed compensation rate be reduced from 15 per cent to 10 per cent of the estate's gross entertainment-related income for 2023 and 2024, with the reduction continuing into subsequent years until the specified accounting requirements are met.
The proposed reduction could have significant financial implications because Michael's entertainment empire continues to generate substantial income through music, licensing and other commercial ventures. However, the request is part of Paris's legal argument and has not been approved by the court, meaning Branca's existing arrangements remain subject to the ongoing proceedings.
Estate Fires Back At Paris
The Jackson estate has strongly rejected Paris's latest challenge, describing her request as 'nonsensical' and 'absurd'. Its representatives insist that Branca waived his executor compensation from the beginning and has only received a separate, court-ordered management fee for running Michael's business operations.
The estate also argued that Paris's motion was not supported by the facts, adding that some of the financial filings she criticised had not even reached their submission deadlines. It maintains that Branca's management payments should not be confused with the compensation he would otherwise receive for serving as an executor, making the nature of the disputed fees a central part of the disagreement.
Dad's Fortune Reaches Billions
Branca and his late fellow executor John McClain, who died on 26 May 2026, previously defended their management by pointing to the extraordinary financial recovery of Michael's estate. They have credited their business decisions with transforming a fortune that was reportedly around £372 million ($500 million) in debt into an estate reported to be worth more than £1.49 billion ($2 billion).
That turnaround gives the executors a significant part of their argument, as they believe their work has protected and expanded Michael's commercial legacy. Nevertheless, Paris's latest filing questions whether the financial success of the business should automatically justify the compensation arrangements or excuse what she considers inadequate accounting.
Previous Court Ruling Adds Pressure
This is not the first time Paris has challenged the way her father's estate is being managed, with an earlier court victory giving her latest complaint additional context. In May 2026, a judge ruled that £465,000 ($625,000) in bonuses paid to three outside law firms had been improper and ordered the money returned to the estate.
The judge also questioned the basis for those payments, describing the totals as appearing arbitrary and suggesting they reflected what Branca personally considered appropriate. The ruling did not establish wrongdoing over the separate $109 million compensation request, but it marked a significant legal setback for the executors and showed that some of their financial decisions could face judicial scrutiny.
Their Legal War Continues
Paris's objections to Branca extend beyond compensation, as she previously criticised the executors' involvement in the Michael biopic. In November 2025, she accused Branca and McClain of making decisions designed to 'enrich and aggrandize' themselves rather than benefit the Jackson family, pointing to the casting of Miles Teller to portray Branca in the film.
The executors subsequently dismissed her objections as a waste of the court's time and the estate's money, defending their record of managing Michael's business. Now, with another substantial financial dispute unfolding, the disagreement has once again placed control, transparency and the handling of the late singer's fortune under scrutiny, while the court is yet to decide on Paris's latest request.
