Neverland Ranch Photos Show Michael Jackson’s Fortune

Fans make pilgrimage to Neverland Ranch

Many Michael Jackson fans are planning to get some Neverland Ranch photos when they go to the public viewing of Michael Jackson’s body on Friday. However, there’s a rumor floating around that the Michael Jackson viewing will be postponed.  That’s bad news for fans who plan ahead and have already gotten secured loans to be able to afford the trip.

Already many Neverland Ranch photos show fans who have traveled there to mourn Michael Jackson. I found a photo slideshow that displays fans holding candlelight vigils, gifts left at the gate and Neverland Ranch photos taken from an aerial view, so you can see the full property. None of these photos show Neverland Ranch in its amusement-park phase, but you can see what’s been going on in the past few days: Check out the slideshow.

More Neverland Ranch photos

It’s common knowledge now that Neverland Ranch is now a dilapidated property. But I was able to find Neverland Ranch photos of the property in various states. Here are some Neverland Ranch photos from the BBC. These photos were taken a couple of years ago when Neverland Ranch was headed for foreclosure. They show the Ferris wheel, the bumper car arena, train station, the zoo and carousel after they were no longer in use.

I also found a collection of Neverland Ranch photos on Flikr, taken at night. Looking at the elaborate fairgrounds, one can start to understand how even the man with the best-selling record in the world was unable to keep it up and how it ended up in foreclosure.

Where there’s a will

No doubt a legal battle will ensue over Michael Jackson’s remaining fortune. However, the headlines today are about Jackson’s children. A custody battle between their grandmother and their mother could be on the way. In the meantime, the kids are with their grandma.

Financially, what Michael Jackson will leave behind is tough to put a number on. Though he still owned many valuable things, many reports say he didn’t have much left in the way of liquid assets. He also still had debts, according to some news sources.

More money matters

Michael Jackson has indeed had a complicated financial history. His album “Thriller” sold more copies than any other album in the world, and royalties have continued to roll in for the music video. Multiple people have gone after Michael Jackson seeking royalties for the “Thriller” music video, as recently as a few months ago. The woman who played his date in the video, Ola Ray, likely has a very long wait to find out whether she’ll get the royalties owed her.

Michael Jackson was no stranger to lawsuits. The big one, of course, was the lawsuit he settled out of court in which he was charged with child molestation. That settlement reportedly cost him $22 million. I’m sure even that was a tiny fraction of the money he’s pulled in over his career, but reports say that his lavish spending and poor money management have left little to be inherited.