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Rachel Askinasi
- Michael Jackson was known as the King of Pop, and he had the crown jewels to show for it.
- While the "Thriller" singer is said to have been a millionaire who lived like a billionaire, he actually died millions of dollars in debt.
- But Forbes reported that the performer's estate has made millions more since his death — from both auctions of his collections and memorabilia and music that's still being played and marketed today.
- Jackson bought and renovated the Neverland Ranch he lived on — outfitting the property with a zoo, theme park, train station, and arcade. He also bought jewelry as gifts for friends like Elizabeth Taylor, and he even purchased a pet monkey named Bubbles, among other things.
- While the prices Jackson paid for certain items aren't confirmed, take a look at some of the more extravagant — and sometimes unusual — things he spent his money on and collected over the years.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
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Michael Jackson topped Forbes' list of the highest-paid dead celebrities of 2018 after raking in around $400 million that year alone.
Source: Forbes
But before he died, the singer was millions of dollars in debt. According to William R. Ackerman, a forensic accountant, Jackson was spending thousands of dollars more than he was making.
Source: Los Angeles Times, Money
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Ackerman, who testified in a 2013 case involving the singer, said Jackson was making $30 million-a-year payments toward his debt at the time of his death, according to Newsweek. But Ackerman said he was simultaneously spending lavishly on things like jewelry.
Source: Newsweek
It wasn't a secret that the king of pop had a bizarre fleet of collectibles, but it wasn't until he died, and things were put up for auction, that the public got to see the full roster.
Source: The Richest, Reuters
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... a robotic replica of his head, as seen in the "Moonwalker" film starring Jackson ...
Source: Go Social, The Richest
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His Neverland Ranch featured a fully functioning arcade with loads of games available for playing.
Source: Associated Press
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The arcade was in the pool house on the property, according to The Associated Press.
Source: Associated Press
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He displayed the statue on a rotating stand next to the fireplace in the home's main living room, according to NBC.
Source: NBC
Forbes reported that Jackson purchased the oil on canvas painting seen below for $46,000. The painting, called "Cleopatra's Last Moments," was signed by the artist, D. Pauvert, and dated 1892.
Source: Forbes
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The Neverland Ranch was an enormous expense for Jackson. Entertainment Weekly reported that the singer paid $19.5 million for it in 1988.
Source: Entertainment Weekly, Business Insider
Jackson also made additions to the property and house, like the Disney Parks-themed train station ...
Source: Business Insider
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... a working train that passed through the station ...
Source: Business Insider
... and bronze statues of children that littered the property and could be seen from the train as it went around the grounds.
Source: Business Insider
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Entertainment Weekly reported that, at one point, it cost Jackson $10 million to keep up the ranch and all of its amenities, including the train, theme park, zoo, and theater.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
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Neverland Ranch was filled with hints of glitz on the inside, too, like the gold-colored gooselike spout on the star's bathtub.
Source: Associated Press
While the amount he spent on building and furnishing Neverland Ranch hasn't been confirmed ...
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... certain items like the front gate, pictured here, had an estimated price tag of up to $30,000, according to Forbes.
Source: Forbes
Jackson wasn't living at the ranch at the time of his death, though. He was paying $100,000 a month to rent this mansion in Los Angeles' Bel Air neighborhood, according to Forbes.
Source: Forbes
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The limousine was customized by Jackson and featured leather seats and an embellished ceiling.
Source: The Richest, Hot Cars
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Jackson's spending didn't stop at cars. In the early '80s, he famously purchased a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles.
Source: The Richest
According to Newsweek, Jackson's "extreme debt" dates back to 1994, when he owed $30 million.
Source: Newsweek
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While he was spending on going to trial in the '90s, Jackson was still making money. He was collecting about $75 million a year during that time from owning the rights to his music library, as well as that of the Beatles — which he bought for $47.5 million in 1985 — according to the Daily News. Still, he spent more than he made.
Source: The Daily News, Business Insider
The 2009 auction was actually planned before the singer died in June 2009. It was set to feature items belonging to Jackson himself and collectors around the world.
Source: Forbes
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At the 2009 auction, the iconic white-spandex Swarovski-encrusted glove that became synonymous with the King of Pop sold for $350,000.
Source: Reuters
Julien's auction house estimated the worn-in, sweat-stained glove would sell for up to $200,000.
Source: Forbes
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Forbes reported that just before the auction was set to take place, Jackson had made between $200 million and $300 million from his planned London concert tour.
Source: Forbes
The day before the first public exhibit of belongings on offer, Jackson filed a lawsuit against Julien's to prevent the auction from happening. The suit ultimately resulted in Jackson paying a reported $2 million worth of expenses — plus an undisclosed additional amount — Julien's had already taken on in planning the auction.
Source: Forbes
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Since his death, Jackson's belongings, like this "Smooth Criminal" hat and family notebook ...
Source: Reuters, Billboard, Associated Press
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But, that doesn't necessarily mean the singer paid high prices for those things when he first acquired them.
Source: Reuters
Even so, the things he did spend on — like the acres and acres of trimmed grounds at the Neverland Ranch —set him back quite a lot.
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