Legal Top Stories

Former Jacko manager wants access to estate accounts

By | Published on Thursday 30 September 2010

Michael Jackson’s final business manager has asked that unedited copies of financial records relating to the late king of pop’s estate be made public, or at very least be provided to any remaining creditors.

Tohme Tohme reckons that because the courts have allowed the estate to seal certain contracts and financial reports, creditors like him may be deprived of what they are owed. The estate has been able to keep some documents sealed, despite major agreements needing court approval, because the judge accepted commercial confidentiality was required on some deals.

Many of the people Jackson owed cash to at the time of his death have now been paid, though many others have not. Tohme’s case is more complicated because he claims that – because he negotiated the contract between Jackson and AEG Live for the never-to-happen ‘This Is It’ shows – he is due a cut on any revenue generated by that franchise.

That, he argues, includes a cut of the ‘This Is It’ film release and DVD profits, which he reckons would be at least $2.3 million. He can’t work out quite how much, he says, because the required financial information has not been made public. With that in mind, his lawyers have filed a legal motion with the court overseeing the estate asking for access to revenue, expense and profit information.

Reps for the Jackson estate say they are yet to see the motion so don’t currently have any comment to make. A judge is due to consider the motion on 7 Oct.



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