Michael Jackson Estate Co-Executor John McClain Dead at 71
*The recent death of Michael Jackson estate co-executor John McClain at age 71 has raised fresh questions about the future management of one of the most valuable entertainment estates in history, and what it means for Paris Jackson’s ongoing legal fight. Entertainment attorney Gregory Doll, speaking exclusively to Page Six, said sources indicate no plans […] The post Michael Jackson Estate Co-Executor John McClain Dead at 71 appeared first on EURweb | Black News, Culture, Entertainment & More.
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*The recent death of Michael Jackson estate co-executor John McClain at age 71 has raised fresh questions about the future management of one of the most valuable entertainment estates in history, and what it means for Paris Jackson’s ongoing legal fight.
Entertainment attorney Gregory Doll, speaking exclusively to Page Six, said sources indicate no plans are in place to fill the vacancy left by McClain. That leaves John Branca, who was appointed alongside McClain following Michael Jackson’s 2009 death, to take sole control of estate operations.
“Whatever impact that McClain, as opposed to Branca, had on business decisions made by the estate is unknown,” Doll said. “He is often credited publicly with focusing on Jackson’s artistic legacy.”
Doll noted that McClain’s absence could shift how the estate operates, depending on what role he played in tempering or informing Branca’s decisions. “But assuming McClain and Branca were more or less aligned in their approach to managing the estate while he was alive, nothing is likely to change after his death,” he said.
The estate will continue operating under Branca’s business judgment, and Doll expects the fight with Paris to press on. “And presumably [Branca will] continue to defend against Paris’s claims,” he added.
Paris 28, sued McClain and Branca in July 2025 over what she described as unauthorized payments, lavish fees and bonuses. Both men denied the claims. Last week, Paris secured a victory when a Los Angeles judge ordered the return of $625,000 in attorney bonus payments while also restructuring how the estate handles legal fees going forward.
Doll believes the broader legal battle will stretch on for “years to come,” calling it “the default mode for this estate.”
Branca, 75, holds the authority to designate a successor executor or multiple executors if he becomes unable to serve.
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The post Michael Jackson Estate Co-Executor John McClain Dead at 71 appeared first on EURweb | Black News, Culture, Entertainment & More.
