Sponsored message
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen
KPCC Archive

King of Pop Michael Jackson's burial cost $1 million

With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.

Listen 0:44
King of Pop Michael Jackson's burial cost $1 million
Court documents show the cost to bury pop star Michael Jackson in September approached $1 million. The funeral nearly didn’t happen as scheduled.

Court documents show the cost to bury pop star Michael Jackson in September approached $1 million. The funeral nearly didn’t happen as scheduled.

Jackson died in June, and according to documents released yesterday, his mother, Katherine, submitted a request only three days before his burial for pre-payments by his estate. Without them, she claimed, the funeral wouldn’t take place.

Mrs. Jackson asked for $35,000 for her son’s burial garments; $30,000 for cars and security; $15,000 for a funeral designer; and more than $855,000 to Forest Lawn for cemetery and funeral charges, including the purchase of other crypts in the same mausoleum that houses Jackson’s body.

Estate administrators granted the request. Their lawyer, Howard Weitzman, said he would have done it less expensively, “but it was Michael Jackson, who was larger than life.”

At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.

But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.

We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.

Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Chip in now to fund your local journalism

A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right