Page 1 of 5 Sony To Buy Michael Jackson's Half Of Sony/ATV For $750 Million MAR 14, 2016 @ 08:46 PM 13,487 VIEWS Zack O'Malley Greenburg FORBES STAFF I cover the business of music, media & entertainment. FOLLOW ON FORBES (2231) FULL BIO What A Thriller: Michael Jackson just made another $733 million from beyond the grave. (Photo: AP/xcollectionxpeople).
Page 2 of 5 Michael Jackson earned more than any entertainer dead or alive in the first five years after his untimely passing. When the total soared past $1 billion last year, it seemed an incomparable milestone at least until today, when Jackson s estate announced the sale of the King of Pop s half of the Sony /ATV catalogue to Sony for $750 million. When Sony first partnered with Michael Jackson 21 years ago to create Sony/ATV Music Publishing, we knew that this company had the ability to reach great heights, said Michael Lynton, CEO of Sony Entertainment, in a statement. This acquisition will enable Sony to more quickly adapt to changes in the music publishing business. The deal is also represents cold, hard confirmation of Jackson s own littleknown business savvy. He purchased ATV, home to many of the Beatles best publishing copyrights, in 1985 for $47.5 million despite objections from many on his own team who thought he was impetuously overpaying. But Jackson had learned well by watching his Motown mentor Berry Gordy accumulate a valuable catalogue of his own over the years. He got the bug, Gordy told me in an interview for my book, Michael Jackson,
Page 3 of 5 Inc. And that gave him the [urge] to want to do something even greater. Gallery Michael Jackson s Career Earnings, Year-By-Year Launch Gallery 34 images Recommended by Forbes MOST POPULAR TRENDING ON LINKEDIN Photos: The Most Expensive Home Listing in Every State 2016 The Ugly Truth About A $15 Minimum Wage Jackson realized a massive profit on his investment in the mid-1990s when he merged his catalogue with Sony s in exchange for $115 million and a 50% stake in the newly-formed joint venture, Sony/ATV. As part of the deal, Sony was not permitted to enter the publishing business in any other capacity, enabling Jackson to profit equally from new copyrights they acquired for acts ranging from Eminem to Taylor Swift.
Page 4 of 5 When Jackson died in 2009 amid the financial tumult of the Great Recession, some whispered that his estate might be forced to sell its half to pay off the King of Pop s half-billion dollar debt. But executors John Branca and John McClain quickly struck deals for movie rights and new music, putting the singer on a path to earn over $100 million every calendar year since his death. PAGE 1 / 2 Continue Comment on this story Report Corrections Reprints & Permissions SEE ALSO ONLINE BEST 10 BEST ART BEST DOCUMENTA AUDIO UPCOMING CAREERS IN From the Web Ads by Revcontent Buffalo Wings & Rings Sees Revenue, Franchise Growth 1851 FRANCHISE MAGAZINE Why This Shirt Company Is Causing so Many Guys to PROPER CLOTH Anxiety? Cannabis Extract, Now Legal in CA HEALTHY REPORT Social Security Sucks: Born Before 1969? You Can Get PALM BEACH GROUP
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