MJ's wealth, Forbes etc.

I had this thought that I've never seen MJ on a Forbes List of Billionaires (let me know if you have!), and I think he must have been worth over $1 billion at some points in his life, if not always. (MJ even hinted at that in the Bashir documentary.) So I wonder why it's so hard to get a picture of his true net worth and/or finances and/or investments, and why he's never been said to be worth over $1 bn. Could it be that MJ wanted to keep his real wealth a secret, and possibly even encouraged speculation?

According to a 2010 Forbes List Oprah has a net worth of $2.4 bn and is the richest black person in the world. Now how can MJ possibly be worth less than $1 bn? He owns not just 50% of the Sony/ATV catalog, but also publishing rights to his own music - which could be called "the MJ catalog" (which should be worth over $1 bn) and various businesses... I feel that we don't even know all the holdings and investments MJ might have!

Here's a list of black billionaires:
<!-- m -->http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_billionaires<!-- m -->

Here's a 2003 Forbes article that's not favorable to MJ and says nothing about MJ's publishing rights to his music:
<!-- m -->http://www.forbes.com/2003/11/21/cz_1121jackson.html<!-- m -->

What do you think?

Comments

  • Thank you for posting this information. You would think that Michael would have been a billionaire long before now, right? It doesn't make sense if you look at Sony/ATV, MJJ Music, etc.

    I wonder if perhaps part of Michael's problem is that he supports most of his family. He also has been sued by anyone and everyone who think they can make an easy dollar off of him. I haven't heard more than maybe two people who have sued Oprah - and I'm not sure they won...

    Something I've always thought is that after the extortion attempts he's deliberately hid his money in an effort to keep from being used. I know he's had several businesses and I would be willing to bet he's got stake in some businesses that we aren't aware of. I've never bought the story that he was broke or near broke. I have always believed that it was a cover in order to protect him.

    Does he spend money? Obviously, he does. He has never known a different lifestyle. But, really, who's place is it to tell Michael how to spend his money? He doesn't tell us how to spend ours (what little I have). Bottom line, I think he's deliberately hid his money so it doesn't appear that he has as much as he does. Blessings.
  • Thank you for posting this information. You would think that Michael would have been a billionaire long before now, right? It doesn't make sense if you look at Sony/ATV, MJJ Music, etc.

    I wonder if perhaps part of Michael's problem is that he supports most of his family. He also has been sued by anyone and everyone who think they can make an easy dollar off of him. I haven't heard more than maybe two people who have sued Oprah - and I'm not sure they won...

    Something I've always thought is that after the extortion attempts he's deliberately hid his money in an effort to keep from being used. I know he's had several businesses and I would be willing to bet he's got stake in some businesses that we aren't aware of. I've never bought the story that he was broke or near broke. I have always believed that it was a cover in order to protect him.

    Does he spend money? Obviously, he does. He has never known a different lifestyle. But, really, who's place is it to tell Michael how to spend his money? He doesn't tell us how to spend ours (what little I have). Bottom line, I think he's deliberately hid his money so it doesn't appear that he has as much as he does. Blessings.

    I agree that MJ seems to have tried to hide his money... And yes, I don't think he was ever broke. As for supporting the family: We don't really know. The family also had and has J5 royalties coming in, Janet has been doing well herself (and possibly helping the family), and it could be that the other siblings are living off of interest and/or investments. (Maybe MJ gave them a lump sum at some point in the past and that was it?) Also: When MJ stayed in various hotels throughout the world that were owned by some of his friends (like Prince Alwaleed), maybe he wasn't charged anything or got a discount?! And same for flights? It could be that MJ didn't spend as lavishly as some people have assumed over the years... I also read that some of the items he ordered (a bit compulsively, maybe) when visiting stores he would later return!
  • great point, truthprevails....thanks for your input.

    I've been reading up in the Sony/ATV catalog. I'll post the link but here is something very interesting and in line with this discussion.

    <!-- m -->http://www.answers.com/topic/sony-atv-m ... blishing-1<!-- m -->

    Value

    The value of Sony/ATV Music Publishing has varied in reports. In 2002, Forbes magazine estimated Jackson's 50% stake in the company, along with other music publishing ventures, to be worth $450 million.[32] The organisation was valued at $700 million in 2003.[33] Industry experts valued the catalogue at between $600 million and $1 billion in 2004, based on the sales of rival catalogues.[34] Charles Koppelman, a veteran music industry executive, stated that $1 billion was more reflective of Sony/ATV Music Publishing's worth.[34] "Buyers would be lining up around the block if it were ever put up for sale", he said. "And I'd be in the front of the line."[34] The value of the company was further estimated by Ryan Schinman, chief of Platinum Rye, to be $1.5 billion[35]

    In 2005, Jackson's defense attorney, Thomas Mesereau, revealed that the song catalogue had been valued at between $4 billion and $5 billion.[36] The company's song catalogue is believed to generate up to $80 million a year; The Beatles' hits alone bring in $30 million to $45 million a year.[34] Jackson's other publishing firm, Mijac, which publishes songs written by Jackson himself and which is administered by competitor Warner/Chappell Music, is valued to be worth at least $75 million.[37]
  • Thanks for the data, voiceforthesilent!
    It seems hard to ascertain the precise value of the Sony/ATV catalog, but BACK (that poster on the MJJC forum) also estimated it at around $4-5 billion.

    I noticed this among the info you sent:
    Jackson's other publishing firm, Mijac, which publishes songs written by Jackson himself and which is administered by competitor Warner/Chappell Music, is valued to be worth at least $75 million.

    I think Mijac should be worth much more than that. That's what I was referring to when talking about Michael having publishing rights to his own songs... Isn't MJ's music at least as valuable as that of the Beatles?! Even if MJ has fewer songs (which I'm not sure about), I don't understand the huge discrepancy in value. (The Sony/ATV catalog doesn't contain solely rights to Beatles songs, but the Beatles songs themselves - said to be the most precious in that catalog - are worth much more than $75 million). And MJ, like his brothers, should also be getting J5 royalties... There's no way, in my mind, that Michael isn't worth at least $1 billion (and probably quite a bit more).
  • Thanks for the data, voiceforthesilent!
    It seems hard to ascertain the precise value of the Sony/ATV catalog, but BACK (that poster on the MJJC forum) also estimated it at around $4-5 billion.

    I noticed this among the info you sent:
    Jackson's other publishing firm, Mijac, which publishes songs written by Jackson himself and which is administered by competitor Warner/Chappell Music, is valued to be worth at least $75 million.

    I think Mijac should be worth much more than that. That's what I was referring to when talking about Michael having publishing rights to his own songs... Isn't MJ's music at least as valuable as that of the Beatles?! Even if MJ has fewer songs (which I'm not sure about), I don't understand the huge discrepancy in value. (The Sony/ATV catalog doesn't contain solely rights to Beatles songs, but the Beatles songs themselves - said to be the most precious in that catalog - are worth much more than $75 million). And MJ, like his brothers, should also be getting J5 royalties... There's no way, in my mind, that Michael isn't worth at least $1 billion (and probably quite a bit more).

    Right - I found that odd too, that Mijac's worth was only at $75 million. This was a few years ago and maybe the allegations hurt his brand and name more than we realize but it still seems low. I don't think this included the J5 stuff though, either. I'm sure today it's much higher.

    I am also glad that you mention BACK - I didn't know he said that but it only adds to the belief that BACK is MJ or someone really close to him. The 4-5 billion mark is more in line with what I would think it's worth would be (not that I am an expert though).

    This just gives me more reason to believe that Michael was never really broke. But, why wouldn't his name be on the billionaires list - clearly he was one at least once in his life before 2009.
  • "Lies run sprints, but the truth runs marathons"
    I think that these lies about money are just sprints (getting ready for the real thing), and around 'that time', the marathon will really happen! <!-- s:D -->:D<!-- s:D -->
  • It's simple...if you want to be on that list then u hav to corporate & show all the necessary documents ... if u do't want to ... then they will not put Ur name on that list... I am sure MJ did't want to be on that list like so many other billionaires in the world that nobody knows anything about them & I am also sure he worth more than 3 billion dollar... Oprah couldn't afford a place like neverland ...the taxes of the ranch could of break her into half & i am not mentioning owning the place ! u have to worth more than 3 billion to live in a 3000 square home ranch ... it's almost like owning a village ... only a few people in the world could afford a place like that believe me , i know exactly what i am saying . <!-- s;) -->;)<!-- s;) -->
  • Him being in debt is bs and he's worth way more than a billion but he probably doesn't want to talk about his money like that
  • Him being in debt is bs and he's worth way more than a billion but he probably doesn't want to talk about his money like that

    Agreed! If he talks about it the leeches will think of new ways to try and get some. Thanks voiceforthesilent! I continued to read wiki and learned something new. Dick Gregory claims that when MJ purchased the catalog he didn't know that the Beatles owned Little Richard's music.....and he gave it back to him. Wow! What a wonderful person. That's certainly something that should've been publicized amidst the garbage.
  • Him being in debt is bs and he's worth way more than a billion but he probably doesn't want to talk about his money like that

    Agreed! If he talks about it the leeches will think of new ways to try and get some. Thanks voiceforthesilent! I continued to read wiki and learned something new. Dick Gregory claims that when MJ purchased the catalog he didn't know that the Beatles owned Little Richard's music.....and he gave it back to him. Wow! What a wonderful person. That's certainly something that should've been publicized amidst the garbage.

    So true....Michael really is an advocate for those that cannot stand up for themselves. What an excellent gesture on his part. Do you have a link for that article or video? I'd like to post it on my twitter account. Hopefully people will spread it around as this needs to be shared.

    Blessings!
  • In the MJ Conspiracy Book written by Aphrodite Jones she said that the catalogue that MJ owned at that time was worth a few billion dollars. Also the defence teams defence was saying that people wanted MJ to go to jail so they could get their hands on the catalogue and when the defence team questions some of the people ( I don't know who exactly, someone to do with financial things) he was trying to play down the worth of the catalogue. Also in the book it said MJ didn't want to go into detail about what was in the catalogue (p26, here's a link to an excerpt of 27 pages of the book <!-- m -->http://www.aphroditejones.com/chapters/ ... _07_AJ.pdf<!-- m -->) so who knows what was really in it, maybe not just songs, and maybe those people weren't just after money.

    But if people wanna get their hands on it so bad it must be worth so much more and Paul Mcartney was pretty upset when MJ outbidded him.

    Also I now hear the Beatles catalogue alone equals $30 billion dollars.
    Here's a link of the forum:
    <!-- m -->http://prince.org/msg/8/290623<!-- m -->
  • Wow, I've never heard of the $30 billion figure. I wonder where it came from!

    John Blaney is the author of that book, and he apparently said:
    "JB: It sounds like a massive blunder, but the real shocker is the fact that Lennon and McCartney ended up losing the rights to their own songs. The last time Sony/ATV, which owns Northern Songs, was valued, it was said to be worth $30 billion!"

    What valuation is he talking about? Who did that and when? I've just never heard of it. <!-- s:shock: -->:shock:<!-- s:shock: -->

    Here's a profile of Blaney's that I found here:
    <!-- m -->http://www.amazon.co.uk/John-Blaney/e/B0034PPSIW<!-- m -->

    John Blaney is a passionate fan of The Beatles who brings to his writing the expertise and rigour of a professional historian. Born in Devon, England, he trained as a graphic designer before starting a career in music retail. He subsequently studied History of Art at Camberwell College Of Arts and at Goldsmith College (both in London) before taking up his present post as curator of a museum of technology. He is the author and publisher of previous books on both Paul McCartney and John Lennon.
  • CCCC Posts: 2,136
    There are a lot of things hat money can´t buy and that are the kind of things that Michael love and care most!!!
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