LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles judge has awarded control of Michael Jackson’s estate to the individuals the late music icon designated in his 2002 will.
On Monday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff ruled that attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain would serve as administrators of the estate until the next hearing on the matter takes place on Aug. 3.
The King of Pop’s mother, Katherine Jackson, had applied to oversee her son’s estate prior to his will surfacing. She had also filed a request to serve as a co-administrator of the estate, but that bid was also denied.
“Frankly, Mrs. Jackson has concerns about handing over the keys to the kingdom,” her attorney, John E. Schreiber, told The Associated Press.
One of those concerns is believed to be the rumored ties that Branca and McClain have to AEG Live, the concert promoter being Jackson’s planned London concert run.
“We’re not aware of any real conflicts at all,” Paul Gordon Hoffman, an attorney for Branca and McClain, told AP.
The family matriarch, who remains the temporary guardian of Jackson’s three children, did not attend Monday’s hearing.
Jackson left his entire estate, estimated to be worth $500 million, to the Michael Jackson Family Trust. His 50% stake in Sony/ATV Music Publishing, a company estimated to be worth $2 billion, is widely considered as his most valuable asset.
