At the heart of Bigi Jackson and Katherine Jackson’s legal spat is the sale of Michael Jackson’s catalog. In February 2024, Billboard reported that Sony Music Group had snagged half of the late singer’s masters catalog, valued at a jaw-dropping $1.2 billion. While the specifics of the deal remain hush-hush, Sony is believed to have shelled out around $600 million.
Katherine wasn’t thrilled about this deal and clashed with Michael’s estate executors over it, arguing they had no right to authorize the sale. According to documents obtained by People, she believes the catalog could have fetched a more “premium payment.” Her objections led to soaring legal fees, which she expects the estate to cover. But Bigi isn’t on board with this, thinking that his grandma’s efforts are a lost cause and it’s unfair for him and his siblings — the true heirs — to bear the burden of what he sees as an uphill battle. “Given those odds, Bigi decided not to waste his resources to participate in an appeal,” his attorney said.
Katherine, on the other hand, argues that the estate has plenty of cash to cover the fees, with her legal team stating in the filing, “It seems clear to [Katherine] that the Executors are holding all of the assets in the Estate in order to keep control over them, and to avoid the more liberal distribution requirements of the Trust.” The co-executors shot back, pointing out that Katherine has more than enough funds to cover the expenses. “Since Michael’s death, the executors have expended for Mrs. Jackson’s benefit more than $55 million,” they wrote, according to Billboard.
