Alles anzeigenBloomberg: Michael Jackson Estate Decides to Keep Rights to Beatles Songs
June 23, 2010, 8:15 PM EDT
By Brett Pulley
June 23 (Bloomberg) -- Executors of Michael Jackson’s estate have decided to keep a 50 percent stake in a music publishing venture with rights to more than 250 songs by the Beatles, two people with knowledge of the situation said.
Since Jackson’s death a year ago, the executors had considered selling the stake in Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, the estate’s most valuable asset, to address about $500 million of debt the late pop singer left, according to the people, who declined to be identified because deliberations aren’t public.
The decision to keep the business signals the estate can refinance a $300 million loan due later this year, the people said. Sony/ATV, which also holds rights to songs from Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan, is valued at $1.5 billion to $2 billion, making Jackson’s half worth more than enough to settle all the estate’s debt, said Ivan Thornton, a New York-based financial adviser who has worked with Jackson and his family.
One of the executors, Los Angeles entertainment attorney John Branca, who represented the singer for much of his recording career and negotiated Jackson’s original purchase of the Beatles catalog, has been trying to avoid selling the publishing business because of its long-term value and the consistent revenue it generates, the people said.
In an e-mail sent days after Jackson’s death on June 25 last year, Branca said the Sony/ATV stake “is not for sale.” Still it was never certain a sale could be averted because the $300 million loan to Jackson, which was refinanced by Barclays PLC, is guaranteed by the Sony/ATV stake.
Millions Generated
Since Jackson died at the age of 50, his estate has generated over $250 million, with about $125 million coming from sales of Jackson’s own recordings, $60 million from an advance for the “This is It” theatrical documentary, about $35 million from music publishing, and more than $50 million from merchandise such as video games, one of the people said.
As a result, slightly less than $200 million of the estate’s debts have been paid and there’s certainty among executors that the loan can be refinanced, the people said. The estate has more than $50 million in cash on hand, they added.
Sony Corp. has an option to purchase one half of Jackson’s stake for $250 million, and also has the right of first refusal to purchase the entire stake, according to one of the people. Jimmy Asci, a spokesman at Sony/ATV, declined to confirm that those options exist.
Michael Jackson Estate Decides to Keep Rights to Beatles Songs - BusinessWeek
Ja ja, so viel zum Thema "der böse Estate will den Katalog verkaufen". 
zu doing dirty: Marlon Jackson und Michael stehen beide als Songwriter/Composer drinnen. Gibt es nicht gerade Gerüchte das Marlon bei dem neuen Album mithilft 
Bin echt gespannt, wann uns endlich offizielle News ins Haus kommen...
