Don’t stop ’til you get enough! Since Michael Jackson’s death in June 2009, his estate has kept his legacy alive by treating fans to a number of posthumous projects.
Over the past decade-plus, the estate — which entertainment lawyer John Branca and music executive John McClain oversee — has released two albums of unreleased material in addition to creating a pair of Cirque du Soleil shows, among other ventures celebrating the King of Pop.
Branca had worked with Jackson throughout the 1980s, guiding him through career highlights including his “Thriller” music video and subsequent Bad tour. After the entertainer died at the age of 50, the attorney helped transform the massive debt that Jackson had accrued over time into a fortune. (The Associated Press reported in June 2019 that Jackson owed nearly $500 million when he died. His estate has since reportedly grossed nearly $2 billion.)
Although the money has continued to roll in, making Jackson out-earn most living artists, there have been plenty of controversies along the way. After his 2010 posthumous album, Michael, was released, the Grammy winner’s mother, Katherine Jackson, children Prince Jackson and Paris Jackson, sister La Toya Jackson and other family members questioned the authenticity of the vocals on some songs. And nearly nine years later, two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, alleged in the HBO documentary Leaving Neverland that they had been sexually abused by the late singer as children. Michael, who was tried and acquitted on separate molestation charges in 2005, maintained his innocence until his death.
Despite the scandal, Michael’s popularity around the world has hardly wavered. In 2021, his estate plans to launch a Broadway musical featuring his biggest songs.
“Like one of those tropical storms, it’s passed,” Branca told the AP. “Michael Jackson is alive and well and living everywhere in the world.”
Scroll down to see every project Michael’s estate has released since his death.
