As much of the world awaits for the official toxicology reports surrounding Michael Jackson's death, Jackson biographer Ian Halperin tells PopEater that there's a massive financial scandal brewing in the Jackson camp.
According to Halperin, the best-selling author of 'Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson,' Jackson's financial advisers are likely behind "a lot of financial fraud going on over the years, and that's why he [Jackson] was in such dire straits when he died."
"While the coroner and the LAPD has been following the money, tens of millions of dollars have been systematically looted from Jackson by his handlers in the months and years before his death, which contributed to his depleted financial state," Halperin tells PopEater.
Halperin says that Katherine Jackson is currently fighting Jackson's advisers over his estate. The family estimates its worth at $2 billion though advisers only estimate it at $500 million. "That's why Katherine wants to be the executor of the estate," he says.
According to Halperin, just weeks before Michael died he "had a meeting with Leonard Rowe and Joe Jackson ... and in front of everyone, Michael did ask Rowe to come in and clean up 'the mess,'" referring to his financial state. "He believed he was being ripped-off and that people were stealing from him."
"This really debunks the theory that he was estranged from his father because he called his father to this meeting just weeks before he died."
Halperin says that "while everyone's looking at the medical trail in the drugs, it's 1000 percent the financial trail that's going to play a bigger part. That was a major factor that forced Michael to agree to a punishing London concert residency that he could have never logically completed given his frail mental and physical state."
Executors of Jackson's will have "refused to completely divulge" Michael's financial records to Katherine Jackson, according to Halperin. "Shortly after Katherine and the rest of the family started asking questions, Michael's former manger Tohme Tohme turned over millions of dollars ($5.5 million) in cash almost two weeks ago that he claimed Jackson had given to him secretly to buy him a house in Las Vegas. This immediately set off major red flags to the family as they wondered how much more money was out there missing. It was highly suspicious."
Michael Jackson starred as the Scarecrow in the 1978 film 'The Wiz.'
Tom Zimberoff, Getty Images
Oprah Winfrey interviewed Jackson in February of 1993.
AP
Time showed off an Andy Warhol portrait on a 1984 cover at the height of his 'Thriller' popularity.
Time & Life Pictures / Getty Images
Michael Jackson is photographed with Brooke Shields in 1988.
Ron Galella, WireImage
Michael Jackson hit the court with Michael Jordan during the video shoot for 'Jam' in 1992.
FOX / AP
Jackson attends a Pepsi press conference on February 3, 1992. Jackson accepted the largest individual sponsorship deal in history from Pepsi-Cola in 1983.
Steve Allen, Liaison / Getty Images
Jackson performs during the halftime show at the Super Bowl XXVII in Pasadena in 1993. The halftime show was a ratings smash.
Rusty Kennedy, AP
Jackson and his wife Lisa Marie Presley kiss on the stage of Radio City Music Hall at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards. "And they said he wouldn't last," Jackson joked.
AFP / Getty Images
Wearing a black surgical mask, Jackson arrives with companion Debbie Rowe, mother to two of his children, at a performance of the play "Sisterella" in 1996.
Chris Pizzello, AP
Michael Jackson with baby son Prince and mother Debbie Rowe on cover of OK! Magazine in 1997.
OK! Magazine / AP
Another red flag that Halperin says he discovered is that Jackson's adviser failed to pay the premium on Michael's life insurance policy.
Because of this, Halperin says he's "calling on authorities to conduct a forensic audit into Michael Jackson's assets immediately." He goes on to claim that Katherine Jackson is fighting for the money so that it can go to Jackson's children, as he wished, but that "it appears the vultures have looted the childrens' legacy just like they took advantage of Michael."
A close friend of Jackson and former aide told Halperin that while Jackson was certainly financially taken advantage of, The King of Pop is partially to blame. "He hired these people. No one put a gun to his head," the source said.
I'm sick of hearing and reading you people who never liked Michael Jackson a day in your life BUT still come to read news about him and leave your ignorant comments.Michael is a child molester BUT never went to jail for it But was found not guilty on all counts. The first case was settled (against Michaels wishes) by his INSURANCE Company. How come no one has anything to say about the slezzy families who went with there children and spent nights in the same place. WHAT they had themselves a good old time while their child was getting molested????? It's all you people who bought the trash lies and kept all those investgative reporters selling their trash. The same ones who paid people to tell their stories and when it got time for court all the lies and what they got paid came out HUH????? NOT GUILTY. Michael Jackson you rocked my world and I thank you and now your fans say I"LL BE THERE, for you. Pat
Poor man worked hard all his life and made money and then the vultures came and took advantage of a person who had no idea what was going on. Such a shame!
So this guy knows for sure no one put a gun to his head?! Eh. Hey,.....what,....eh,.....maybe, they lied, which is way criminal (and some have played the best!)so why play it that Michael is so "stupidly" when he was embezzled from?
Good for the Jackson Family!!! Hire the best Forensic Accountants money can buy and I will guarantee that they will get to the bottom of things and nail the vultures that stole from MJ.
As for all these idiotic posters who have negative comments about the Jackson Family being greedy and this and that....go to Hell. The Jackson Family is doing exactly as they should and they would be remiss if they did anything different. That family and MJ worked hard for every dime that they earned, and they should fight like hell to make sure that every penny is accounted for!!!
Everyone wanted to bleed Michael Jackson dry. He was like a big bag of blood surrounded by thousands of leeches. Now Katherine wants to get her turn of the riches. No doubt that series of concerts would have left poor Michael a mess. His handlers would have been mainlining him with every drug available just to keep him going to fulfill the contract. Then they would have discarded his hulk like an old torn and empty sack. Squeeze the life out of him and squeeze all the money they could get. That's a great gig if you can get it. Hey, Michael, I'm your best bud (as long as you got money to give me).
IF MICHAEL HAD SOMETHING INVESTED IN THE US COBALT DEAL, HERE IS SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. ON 3/13/2000, DOUG GLASPEY, US COBALT, FAXED LAWYER, CHRISTIAN PIEPER, THAT ANSCHUTZ AND NATIONAL LEAD WERE TO DO MORE WORK, ON THE MINING PROPERTY. JOHN COOK, IN KC, MO, WAS THEIR CONTACT. HE SAID, "THEY WERE EVIDENTLY NOT ABLE TO GET ME, TO COME TO THE TABLE." THE TRUTH IS, I WAS NEVER CONTACTED. OR RESPONDED TO, WHEN I CALLEDTHEIR LAWYER, GEORGE VON STAMWITZ, AT ARMSTRONG TEASDALE.
KEEP FOLLOWING THE MONEY AND THOSE IN POWERFUL POSITIONS IN AND OUTSIDE OF HIS CAMP! MAKES ONE WONDER WHETHER THEY PLAN ON LEAVING A CARCASS.....HOW IMMORAL AND DISGUSTING. THE INVESTIGATION INTO WHAT REALLY KILLED MICHEAL HAS SHOULD BE LESS ABOUT THE DRUGS AND MORE ABOUT THE MOTIVES. THERE WERE THOSE WHO NOT ONLY CONVETED WHAT HE HAD, BUT ALSO THE THREAT OF THE THINGS THAT HE COULD ATTAIN. MICHEAL WAS NOT ONLY RICH AND TALENTED, BUT VERY POWERFUL AS WELL. HIS INFLUENCE AND RESPECT WAS WORLD WIDE. PRESIDENTS AND KINGS DO NOT HAVE THE MEASURE OF INFLUENCE THAT MICHEAL POSSESSED. MICHEALS KINGDOM EXUDED A MULTIFACETED OMNIPRESNCE THAT IS THAT WAS VERY THREATENING FOR SOME.
TED AMMON, INVESTMENT BANKER, HAD AN ESTATE IN SURREY, ENGLAND. WHEN IT WAS FOUND ON LONG ISLAND, NY, THAT HE WAS PREPARING FOR A DIVORCE, HE WAS MURDERED. THE SUBSEQUENT, ATTEMPTS ON MY PHYSICAL, AND FINANCIAL LIFE, ARE STARTING TO MAKE SENSE. WAS THE US COBALT IPO, ENGINEERED BY TED, FOR SOMEONE ANONYMOUSLY? THE LONDON CONNECTION HAS GONE FROM THE CDI/LONDON MAY 1999, CHAMBISHI METALS, PLC, ANGLOVAAL MINING GROUP. AND THE PURCHSASE OF MY NEARLY SIGNED, JOINT-VENTURE WITH COLOSSAL'S PROJECT IN AFRICA.
EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, CLIFF BAXTER, SON OF LONG ISLAND POLICEMAN, KNEW SOMETHING AT ENRON, AS WELL. HIS DEATH IN TEXAS, NEVER SOUNDED LIKE A SUICIDE, IN SUGARLAND,TX. AND THE WAY THE MR. COVEYOU (ELLISVILLE, MO, POLICEMAN, GAVE ME A TICKET, THE NEXT MORNING, AFTER MY WALLET WAS STOLEN.) HE JOKED ABOUT, "THERE'S ALWAYS A PARTY SOMEWHERE," THE SAME DAY, MICHAEL WENT TO COURT IN CA, IN PJ BOTTOMS. HE OBVIOUSLY, HAD LOCATED BAXTER'S IN ALTON, IL. CLIFF WAS NEVER GOING TO TESTIFY, IN THIS CASE. ALTHOUGH, HE OBVIOUSLY, THOUGHT HE COULD. THE TRUTH WAS TO BE COVERED UP.
I grew up listening to Michael Jackson. One of the greatest artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. I guess what appalls me the most is the doctors who wrote and continued to write the prescriptions that contributed to the man's death even though they took the hyppocratic oath to preserve life not to destroy it. I mean come on dipravan is a very powerful anesthetic and is only administered thru an i.v. in a very controlled enviroment when someone is having surgery(I know I work in the medical field). How could a doctor write a prescription for that drug for anyone regardless of how much money someone has....do these doctors sleep well at night knowing that they contributed to Michael Jackson's death? I sure hope not and I am sure his children hope not!!!!! Seems to me there are a whole lot of different kinds of "VULTURES" that are involved here not just financial ones!!!!!!!!!! I hope Michael Jackson can find his peace in death that he so sought here on this earth and never found....can't everyone just leave him alone already....he gave his life there is nothing left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Get real with Jackson. He was a grown man who chose how he live his life. Noone put a gun to his head and made him do anything. Bottom line he was a drug addict child molester who got caught up in his own miserable life. When others tried to help him, he refused. Quit making excuses for him.
I agree with you, they are treating him=m in death as they did when he was alive. He is a cash cow for everyone, all you have to say is I knew him or something to that effect. I do however believe that the lawyers for his estate are robbing the estate blind that is why they wouldn’t allow Mrs. Jackson to see the books she is his mother.
I have never seen a judge totally on the lawyers side as this judge is, he has refuse every motion on Mrs. Jackson behalf t, maybe the lawyers are giving the judge a cut of the money.
Estate lawyers makes millions a year these men are going to be billionaires after this is over with one lawyer, for them it, it is free money.
Yes his families are vultures but Mrs. Jackson is looking out for MJ children. I hope and pray that his children grows up to be strong and healthily in mind and body. To be the children of MJ brings such a burden and controversy and there will always be people that just want the money.
MJ best friends, god father to Paris is known claiming he gave MJ sperm and the children are his... Everyone just needs to let him rest in peace and leave his children alone.
MJ IS IN A BETTER PLACE, AND NO ONE CAN HURT HIM ANYMORE HOW HIS CHILDREN IS STILL HERE ON EARTH AND PEOPLE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THOSE CHILDREN BEFORE THEY SPEAK. AS MJ SAID LOOK IN THE MIRROR AT YOURSELF BEFORE YOU THROW STONES.
Although I don't doubt his financial advisers---and pretty much everyone around him, for that matter---probably greased their palms, the most likely reason for "dire financial straits" was the way the man spent money.
As much of the world awaits for the official toxicology reports surrounding Michael Jackson's death, Jackson biographer Ian Halperin tells PopEater that there's a massive financial scandal brewing in the Jackson camp.
Comments
(34)Add a comment
Monday 10 August
By Heather
The only vultures are the Jacksons themselves.
Reply
Monday 10 August
By Pat
I'm sick of hearing and reading you people who never liked Michael Jackson a day in your life BUT still come to read news about him and leave your ignorant comments.Michael is a child molester BUT never went to jail for it But was found not guilty on all counts. The first case was settled (against Michaels wishes) by his INSURANCE Company. How come no one has anything to say about the slezzy families who went with there children and spent nights in the same place. WHAT they had themselves a good old time while their child was getting molested????? It's all you people who bought the trash lies and kept all those investgative reporters selling their trash. The same ones who paid people to tell their stories and when it got time for court all the lies and what they got paid came out HUH????? NOT GUILTY. Michael Jackson you rocked my world and I thank you and now your fans say I"LL BE THERE, for you. Pat
Monday 10 August
By Gagan kaur
Im hoping all the money does go to the children, gosh money, money, money....vultures indeed
Reply
Monday 10 August
By M
I have to agree with Heather...the Jackson Clan are one sick family and the sad part of it is, they know it and do nothing.
Reply
Monday 10 August
By sian1776
katherine is the biggest vulture of them all.
Monday 10 August
By MAry
Poor man worked hard all his life and made money and then the vultures came and took advantage of a person who had no idea what was going on. Such a shame!
Reply
Monday 10 August
By wisdom
I know how hard this can be,i only have $5.00 and people won,t let me rest
Reply
Monday 10 August
By Daniel
So this guy knows for sure no one put a gun to his head?! Eh.
Hey,.....what,....eh,.....maybe, they lied, which is way criminal (and some have played the best!)so why play it that Michael is so "stupidly" when he was embezzled from?
Reply
Monday 10 August
By gj
Good for the Jackson Family!!! Hire the best Forensic Accountants money can buy and I will guarantee that they will get to the bottom of things and nail the vultures that stole from MJ.
As for all these idiotic posters who have negative comments about the Jackson Family being greedy and this and that....go to Hell. The Jackson Family is doing exactly as they should and they would be remiss if they did anything different. That family and MJ worked hard for every dime that they earned, and they should fight like hell to make sure that every penny is accounted for!!!
Reply
Monday 10 August
By iphonerulez
Everyone wanted to bleed Michael Jackson dry. He was like a big bag of blood surrounded by thousands of leeches. Now Katherine wants to get her turn of the riches. No doubt that series of concerts would have left poor Michael a mess. His handlers would have been mainlining him with every drug available just to keep him going to fulfill the contract. Then they would have discarded his hulk like an old torn and empty sack. Squeeze the life out of him and squeeze all the money they could get. That's a great gig if you can get it. Hey, Michael, I'm your best bud (as long as you got money to give me).
Reply
Monday 10 August
By MSF
IF MICHAEL HAD SOMETHING INVESTED IN THE US COBALT DEAL, HERE IS SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. ON 3/13/2000, DOUG GLASPEY, US COBALT, FAXED LAWYER, CHRISTIAN PIEPER, THAT ANSCHUTZ AND NATIONAL LEAD WERE TO DO MORE WORK, ON THE MINING PROPERTY. JOHN COOK, IN KC, MO, WAS THEIR CONTACT. HE SAID, "THEY WERE EVIDENTLY NOT ABLE TO GET ME, TO COME TO THE TABLE."
THE TRUTH IS, I WAS NEVER CONTACTED. OR RESPONDED TO, WHEN I CALLEDTHEIR LAWYER, GEORGE VON STAMWITZ, AT ARMSTRONG TEASDALE.
Reply
Monday 10 August
By gwyn
KEEP FOLLOWING THE MONEY AND THOSE IN POWERFUL POSITIONS IN AND OUTSIDE OF HIS CAMP!
MAKES ONE WONDER WHETHER THEY PLAN ON LEAVING A CARCASS.....HOW IMMORAL AND DISGUSTING.
THE INVESTIGATION INTO WHAT REALLY KILLED MICHEAL HAS SHOULD BE LESS ABOUT THE DRUGS AND MORE ABOUT THE MOTIVES. THERE WERE THOSE WHO NOT ONLY CONVETED WHAT HE HAD, BUT ALSO THE THREAT OF THE THINGS THAT HE COULD ATTAIN. MICHEAL WAS NOT ONLY RICH AND TALENTED, BUT VERY POWERFUL AS WELL. HIS INFLUENCE AND RESPECT WAS WORLD WIDE. PRESIDENTS AND KINGS DO NOT HAVE THE MEASURE OF INFLUENCE THAT MICHEAL POSSESSED.
MICHEALS KINGDOM EXUDED A MULTIFACETED OMNIPRESNCE THAT IS THAT WAS VERY THREATENING FOR SOME.
Reply
Monday 10 August
By MSF
TED AMMON, INVESTMENT BANKER, HAD AN ESTATE IN SURREY, ENGLAND. WHEN IT WAS FOUND ON LONG ISLAND, NY, THAT HE WAS PREPARING FOR A DIVORCE, HE WAS MURDERED. THE SUBSEQUENT, ATTEMPTS ON MY PHYSICAL, AND FINANCIAL LIFE, ARE STARTING TO MAKE SENSE. WAS THE US COBALT IPO, ENGINEERED BY TED, FOR SOMEONE ANONYMOUSLY? THE LONDON CONNECTION HAS GONE FROM THE CDI/LONDON MAY 1999, CHAMBISHI METALS, PLC, ANGLOVAAL MINING GROUP. AND THE PURCHSASE OF MY NEARLY SIGNED, JOINT-VENTURE WITH COLOSSAL'S PROJECT IN AFRICA.
Reply
Monday 10 August
By MSF
EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, CLIFF BAXTER, SON OF LONG ISLAND POLICEMAN, KNEW SOMETHING AT ENRON, AS WELL. HIS DEATH IN TEXAS, NEVER SOUNDED LIKE A SUICIDE, IN SUGARLAND,TX. AND THE WAY THE MR. COVEYOU (ELLISVILLE, MO, POLICEMAN, GAVE ME A TICKET, THE NEXT MORNING, AFTER MY WALLET WAS STOLEN.) HE JOKED ABOUT, "THERE'S ALWAYS A PARTY SOMEWHERE," THE SAME DAY, MICHAEL WENT TO COURT IN CA, IN PJ BOTTOMS. HE OBVIOUSLY, HAD LOCATED BAXTER'S IN ALTON, IL. CLIFF WAS NEVER GOING TO TESTIFY, IN THIS CASE. ALTHOUGH, HE OBVIOUSLY, THOUGHT HE COULD. THE TRUTH WAS TO BE COVERED UP.
Monday 10 August
By Cheri32563
I grew up listening to Michael Jackson. One of the greatest artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. I guess what appalls me the most is the doctors who wrote and continued to write the prescriptions that
contributed to the man's death even though they took the hyppocratic oath to preserve life not to destroy it. I mean come on dipravan is a very powerful anesthetic and is only administered thru an i.v. in a very controlled enviroment when someone is having surgery(I know I work in the medical field). How could a doctor write a prescription for that drug for anyone regardless of how much money someone has....do these doctors sleep well at night knowing that they
contributed to Michael Jackson's death? I sure hope not and I am sure his children hope not!!!!! Seems to me there are a whole lot of different
kinds of "VULTURES" that are involved here not just financial ones!!!!!!!!!! I hope Michael Jackson can find his peace in death that he so sought here on this earth and never found....can't everyone just leave him alone already....he gave his life there is nothing left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply
Monday 10 August
By Dollie Mitchell
Hi Cheri,
Your comment says it all, Good for you!
I rate your comment as a five star!!!!
You get the highest rank!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday 11 August
By Gary Timlin
Get real with Jackson. He was a grown man who chose how he live his life. Noone put a gun to his head and made him do anything. Bottom line he was a drug addict child molester who got caught up in his own miserable life. When others tried to help him, he refused. Quit making excuses for him.
Thursday 20 August
By violeta
I agree with you, they are treating him=m in death as they did when he was alive.
He is a cash cow for everyone, all you have to say is I knew him or something to that effect.
I do however believe that the lawyers for his estate are robbing the estate blind that is why they wouldn’t allow Mrs. Jackson to see the books she is his mother.
I have never seen a judge totally on the lawyers side as this judge is, he has refuse every motion on Mrs. Jackson behalf t, maybe the lawyers are giving the judge a cut of the money.
Estate lawyers makes millions a year these men are going to be billionaires after this is over with one lawyer, for them it, it is free money.
Yes his families are vultures but Mrs. Jackson is looking out for MJ children.
I hope and pray that his children grows up to be strong and healthily in mind and body.
To be the children of MJ brings such a burden and controversy and there will always be people that just want the money.
MJ best friends, god father to Paris is known claiming he gave MJ sperm and the children are his... Everyone just needs to let him rest in peace and leave his children alone.
MJ IS IN A BETTER PLACE, AND NO ONE CAN HURT HIM ANYMORE
HOW HIS CHILDREN IS STILL HERE ON EARTH AND PEOPLE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THOSE CHILDREN BEFORE THEY SPEAK. AS MJ SAID LOOK IN THE MIRROR AT YOURSELF BEFORE YOU THROW STONES.
Monday 10 August
By Tom
Although I don't doubt his financial advisers---and pretty much everyone around him, for that matter---probably greased their palms, the most likely reason for "dire financial straits" was the way the man spent money.
Reply
Monday 10 August
By Nrthdude1
Who were the "vultures"? The parents of molested children?
Reply