Paris Jackson Scores Big $$$ Victory in Michael Estate Fight, Judge Praises Executors

Paris Jackson won a major victory in his battle over money spent by the executors who ruled his late father Michael Jackson— while the executors also received praise for their work… TMZ has learned.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ, a Los Angeles judge ruled that $625,000 in bonuses – paid by executors John Branca And John McClain to third-party law firms – must be returned to the estate.

As TMZ first reported…last year, Paris raised concerns about certain bonuses paid to third-party law firms that worked in the field in 2018. Paris claimed the bonuses were excessive and were not approved.

At the time, Paris’ lawyer claimed that “the irregular payments raised serious and substantial questions about the executors’ ability to effectively supervise the attorneys” and questioned the so-called “unnecessary six-figure gift to themselves and their colleagues.”

In another filing, Paris claimed that “current records suggest that a group of close-knit, highly compensated attorneys are exploiting the executors’ lack of oversight to extract money from the estate, in plain sight.”

The executors argued the fees were standard for the industry and claimed they made a ton of money for the estate during the year in question thanks to the massive deals they closed.

The court recognized the work the executors did to transform the estate into the financial powerhouse it is today, noting that they had created “real and substantial generational wealth” for Paris and her two brothers… but ultimately ruled that the $625,000 in bonuses had not been approved and must be returned to the estate.

A representative for the executors told TMZ, “We are pleased that the Court itself recognized and praised the work of the executors and its outside counsel in today’s decision.”

The representative added, “Although the Court has previously approved several other bonuses awarded to outside counsel over the years for their extraordinary service, and this was the first time they were objected to, the executors have always understood that legal fees are subject to court approval and have always required that the outside counsel agree to return the funds to the estate if the payments were not approved.” The representative stressed that the bonuses were not paid to the executors themselves but rather to external law firms.

The representative said, “Ultimately, while we disagree with the decision, we fully respect it and plan to move forward accordingly.”