How Did Michael Lose Control of his Empire?

Gatesy2006

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Just finished the book 'Michael Jackson, Inc.'. The book is a great read and would recommend it to anyone interested in the finances of MJ.

From my understanding, in the '80s MJ's team basically consisted of himself, Branca and Dileo and they raked in cash hand over fist throughout all of the '80s. Then MJ got rid of both of them sometime after 1990-ish? and then hired a bunch of advisors and managers on and off throughout the rest of his life before reuniting the 'dream team' of Branca and Dileo shortly before he died.

For a man who was as financially astute as MJ, how did he lose grip on his own finances? How did he let it spiral out of control and go through a million and one managers? I remember Slash saying that when he worked with Michael he sensed the only thing he seemed in control of was the music side of his empire, and he had 75 different people with some role in his organisation but he didn't know what they did.

What happened?
 
I don't usually respond but here it goes.

Michael never really did lose control though did he, I believe not at all.

I believe if there was anything that mingled with their grubby fingers it was the people around him and that he trusted people too easily, and saw the world through rose tinted glasses.

However no, I don't believe he lost control.
He was always a smart business man and in control, that...no one can deny.

To add, he never went through a million managers...

But If someone can answer your question a little more then I'm sure they will hun.

Take care.
 
The Alliance overthrew the Empire in Return of the Jedi.
 
How could he lose control? That never made sense to me why he's lose it at all and I'm sure he knows what he's doing as a business man.
 
I don't know if he did but when you are really rich you might spend too much money. It feels like it never runs out. I heard that he did spend it a lot.
 
??? Don't get it lol I don't know anything about Star Wars but know Jedi is from Star Wars lol

When I read the thread about Michael losing his empire I thought of Star Wars, and made that post. If you've seen the films you'll understand it more
 
When it was just the 3 of them in the '80s he made smart and shrewd investments, that didn't seem the case in the '90s and '00s.
 
I don't usually respond but here it goes.

Michael never really did lose control though did he, I believe not at all.

I believe if there was anything that mingled with their grubby fingers it was the people around him and that he trusted people too easily, and saw the world through rose tinted glasses.

However no, I don't believe he lost control.
He was always a smart business man and in control, that...no one can deny.

To add, he never went through a million managers...

But If someone can answer your question a little more then I'm sure they will hun.

Take care.
Yeah, I agree. All this bogus about his financial situation needs to stop
 
I bought the book when it was released and it is a good read. He never lost control of his empire. If he did he wouldn't still own half of Sony/ATV.
 
To put it simply, I think Michael's biggest character flaw was trusting the wrong people. Katherine even tried getting him on the right track, saying "I see myself in you, but I don't want you to be like me." He believed everyone was an inherently good person, which led to him being manipulated by those whose behavior proved that stance wrong. Some say he was millions in debt when he died; I'm not sure what to believe about that. I always figured if that was true, he couldn't have set up trusts for his kids. The fact he retained ownership of the ATV catalog through all his troubles says a lot; severe debt would've robbed him of that collateral fairly quick.
 
To put it simply, I think Michael's biggest character flaw was trusting the wrong people. Katherine even tried getting him on the right track, saying "I see myself in you, but I don't want you to be like me." He believed everyone was an inherently good person, which led to him being manipulated by those whose behavior proved that stance wrong. Some say he was millions in debt when he died; I'm not sure what to believe about that. I always figured if that was true, he couldn't have set up trusts for his kids. The fact he retained ownership of the ATV catalog through all his troubles says a lot; severe debt would've robbed him of that collateral fairly quick.
I'm strongly convinced that the whole thing about him being in debt is just another tabloid rumor, which is why I said it has to stop. because even fans are talking about it, and they should know better than that
 
The question really is why no one sat him down and told him to stop spending money like it was 1984 everyday.
 
Yeah, I agree. All this bogus about his financial situation needs to stop

Cheers ears!

Michaels Lover weren't you over at MJJF some time ago? Why do I know your username, did we used to talk on the board?

EDIT
oh and to add I think this should be moved to another section of the board :yes:
 
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Cheers ears!

Michaels Lover weren't you over at MJJF some time ago? Why do I know your username, did we used to talk on the board?

EDIT
oh and to add I think this should be moved to another section of the board :yes:
no, I never been at MJJF. this has always been my username ever since I joined forums when I got my first computer, which was around 2003-2004. the first forum I joined was called MJEOL. and then here...I don't really remember if I've been on other forums over the years...recently, I haven't anyway
 
Probably after 2005 when the trial had reduced him to not really caring anymore. When he entrusted his career to people like the Arab Prince, Marc Schafer and the people like Tome Tome and AEG live. MJ was living around the world in Ireland, UAE and the pool house in LA and some days did not even have the skills to dress himself let alone run an empire. I kind of believe most of this stuff I read in the Randall Sullivan book that mentions the rise and fall of MJJ in two streams of chapters - 2005 - 2011 and 1980- 2004 with the trial as the cross over point from Michael in control or largely so, to costs spiralling out of control, to Michael no longer cares.
It is sad and I also blame his reliance on drugs after 2005 and his will to not really worry about his career. Despite all the talk and hype, he did very little after 2005 (Or even Invincible for that matter), a few songs on Michael and some lines in Thriller 25. Had MJ been on to it like after the 1993 allegations, a new album would have been out by Jan 2007 at the latest. It never came and we had to wait until late 2010 for Michael to drop, and it had only 10 songs, 3 of which have been identified as fakes.
 
The question really is why no one sat him down and told him to stop spending money like it was 1984 everyday.
Multiple people who knew Michael (even members of his own family) have stated that he never took confrontation very well. Janet was his closest sibling, and he even shunned her for a time when she helped the family attempt an intervention after the 2005 trial.
 
Probably after 2005 when the trial had reduced him to not really caring anymore. When he entrusted his career to people like the Arab Prince, Marc Schafer and the people like Tome Tome and AEG live. MJ was living around the world in Ireland, UAE and the pool house in LA and some days did not even have the skills to dress himself let alone run an empire. I kind of believe most of this stuff I read in the Randall Sullivan book that mentions the rise and fall of MJJ in two streams of chapters - 2005 - 2011 and 1980- 2004 with the trial as the cross over point from Michael in control or largely so, to costs spiralling out of control, to Michael no longer cares.
It is sad and I also blame his reliance on drugs after 2005 and his will to not really worry about his career. Despite all the talk and hype, he did very little after 2005 (Or even Invincible for that matter), a few songs on Michael and some lines in Thriller 25. Had MJ been on to it like after the 1993 allegations, a new album would have been out by Jan 2007 at the latest. It never came and we had to wait until late 2010 for Michael to drop, and it had only 10 songs, 3 of which have been identified as fakes.
I had the Randal Sullivan book, but never read it because fans kept saying it was full of tabloid garbage. I mainly bought it because of a video I saw, where Tom Mesereau recommended it...but eventually sold it to Half-Price books. I still don't know if its a reliable source or not; the author didn't even know Michael.

As for Eddie Cascio's tracks on the "Michael" album, that's still widely in dispute. Personally, I tend to believe Frank Cascio, since he knew and worked with Michael for over 20 years. Some say he was just defending his brother, but they were estranged for a while, so I doubt that.
 
no, I never been at MJJF. this has always been my username ever since I joined forums when I got my first computer, which was around 2003-2004. the first forum I joined was called MJEOL. and then here...I don't really remember if I've been on other forums over the years...recently, I haven't anyway
must of been MJEOL then Because it was around that time 03-04 I was referring to anyway. LOL anyway thanks for replying back. take care
 
what was your username on there?
same as this one...it never really changed.
I didn't remember my user name until I requested my password again because I hadn't been on the boards for a really long time but it was the same one as this.
If you go on my profile page I think you may see some old posts I had done around 2006 I think....
 
Just finished the book 'Michael Jackson, Inc.'. The book is a great read and would recommend it to anyone interested in the finances of MJ.

From my understanding, in the '80s MJ's team basically consisted of himself, Branca and Dileo and they raked in cash hand over fist throughout all of the '80s. Then MJ got rid of both of them sometime after 1990-ish? and then hired a bunch of advisors and managers on and off throughout the rest of his life before reuniting the 'dream team' of Branca and Dileo shortly before he died.

For a man who was as financially astute as MJ, how did he lose grip on his own finances? How did he let it spiral out of control and go through a million and one managers? I remember Slash saying that when he worked with Michael he sensed the only thing he seemed in control of was the music side of his empire, and he had 75 different people with some role in his organisation but he didn't know what they did.

What happened?



the foundation had eroded, that was the entire problem and that runs deeper than finances
 
Should kept it at the three to many on the bandwagon that why it broker.
 
I would say Michael 'lost control' when it BECAME an empire... At that point he's basically forced to entrust people to help manage and well.. it's hard to find people to trust!! especially for him and the time it was.. He was the first entertainer to cross over to different sectors of mass income the way he did.. from marketing products to partnering with huge companies to sell products outside the field of music.. No one did it to that scale before him, so how was he to protect himself appropriately?

It's not like later when the game was written after MJ did it that someone like Oprah can do it 'right'!
 
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