Secrets of How Michael Jackson's Lawyer Is Now One of the Most Powerful Figures in Showbiz History

John Branca is the central figure behind one of the most lucrative posthumous revivals in entertainment history, transforming Michael Jackson's finances after the singer's death – and OK! can now reveal how he has quietly becoming one of the most influential power brokers in global show business.

Branca, 75, first worked with Jackson decades before the singer's death in 2009 at the age of 50 from a drugs overdose, but it is his role since then as co-executor of the troubled performer's estate that has reshaped his reputation.

Jackson died owing more than $500 million, leaving behind a catalogue of music, intellectual property and debt that many believed was beyond rescue.

Sixteen years later, the estate has generated more than $3 billion through licensing, touring productions and catalogue sales, elevating Branca to a position of extraordinary influence in the entertainment industry.

Unsurprisingly, Branca has never downplayed his success.

"Ever since Michael Jackson gave me my first Rolls-Royce, I've developed a taste for nice cars," he wrote on Instagram in 2023 beneath a photograph of his Ferrari F8 Tributo – a post neatly capturing his public confidence.

Jackson, friends note, actually gifted Branca two Rolls-Royces during their long professional relationship.

Branca's career with Jackson spanned decades, but his prominence surged after the singer's death from a lethal overdose of hospital-grade tranquilizer propofol, which he used to get himself to sleep.

As co-executor of the singer's estate, he oversaw the turnaround of a legacy once burdened by punitive loans and extravagant spending, including the infamously costly Neverland ranch.

Revenues flowed from projects such as MJ the Musical and Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: One, alongside the 2009 documentary This Is It, which grossed $260 million on a $60 million budget.

But his reach extends well beyond Jackson.

Branca has brokered major deals for artists including The Rolling Stones, Bee Gees, Bob Dylan, Aerosmith and Dr. Dre, reinforcing his standing as a dominant force in entertainment law.

That influence is set to grow again with the release of Michael in April, a long-delayed Jackson biopic produced by Branca and starring Jaafar Jackson, 29.

The film has already attracted controversy.

Early drafts of the project reportedly included elements relating to Jordan Chandler, who accused Michael of abuse in 1993, but those scenes were removed due to restrictions in a 1994 settlement.

Reshoots followed, with the estate covering the costs after Universal Pictures threatened to withdraw as distributor. John has also faced internal challenges.

Earlier this year, Michael's daughter Paris Jackson, 27, accused John and fellow co-executor John McClain of mismanaging aspects of the estate, claims largely dismissed by a judge.

What has never been disputed is his dealmaking ability.

He orchestrated Michael's 1985 purchase of The Beatles' catalogue, paying $47.5 million for assets that would later yield more than $1 billion.

"The entire focus was 'How do I get this catalogue?'" John has stated, while detailing a negotiation that reshaped music publishing.

Reflecting on his approach to the deal, John added: "We don't lose and you can't intimidate us."

For an industry shaped as much by leverage as legacy, it is a statement few are now inclined to challenge.