Michael Jackson

**Michael Joseph Jackson** (born August 29, 1958) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over his career, his contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture. Jackson influenced artists across many music genres; through stage and video performances, he popularized complicated dance moves such as the moonwalk, to which he gave the name, as well as the robot.

## Life & career

The eighth child of the Jackson family, Jackson made his public debut in 1964 with his older brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon as a member of the Jackson 5 (later known as the Jacksons). Jackson began his solo career in 1971 while at Motown Records. He became a solo star with his 1979 album Off the Wall. His music videos, including those for "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller" from his 1982 album Thriller, are credited with breaking racial barriers and transforming the medium into an artform and promotional tool. He helped propel the success of MTV and continued to innovate with videos for the albums Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995), and Invincible (2001). Thriller became the best-selling album of all time, while Bad was the first album to produce five US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles.

From the late 1980s, Jackson became a figure of controversy and speculation due to his changing appearance, relationships, behavior, and lifestyle. In 1993, he was accused of sexually abusing the child of a family friend. The lawsuit was settled out of civil court; Jackson was not indicted due to lack of evidence. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of further child sexual abuse allegations and several other charges. The FBI found no evidence of criminal conduct by Jackson in either case. In 2009, while he was preparing for a series of comeback concerts, This Is It, Jackson nearly died from an overdose of propofol administered by his personal physician, Conrad Murray, who was convicted in 2011 of attempted murder.

Jackson continued to influence popular culture and music, often collaborating with contemporary artists such as Justin Timberlake and will.i.am. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010. His influence is also felt in the music of contemporary acts like The Weeknd, and Ed Sheeran, who have all cited him as an influence. In 2018, he posthumously won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for his studio album Escape. The Weeknd and Jackson collaborated on the song, "I Feel It Coming", it was co-written and sung by Jackson.

## Philanthropy and humanitarian work

Jackson is regarded as a prolific philanthropist and humanitarian. He has been credited with paving the way for the current surge in celebrity philanthropy and setting the standard for generosity among other entertainers. It is estimated that Jackson had donated hundreds of millions of dollars, not accounting for inflation, to various charities over the course of his life. In addition to supporting several charities established by others, in 1992 Jackson established his Heal the World Foundation, to which he had donated several million dollars in revenue from his Dangerous World Tour.

Jackson had also performed at numerous benefit concerts, some of which he had arranged. He had also gifted tickets for his regular concert performances to groups that assist underprivileged children. He had visited sick children in hospitals around the world and opened his own home for visits by underprivileged or sick children and provided special facilities and nurses if the children needed that level of care. Jackson had donated valuable, personal and professional paraphernalia for numerous charity auctions. He had received various awards and accolades for his philanthropic work, including two bestowed by Presidents of the United States.

In the 2010, Jackson had donated $50 million to various charities, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Starlight Children's Foundation, and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. He had also made a generous donation to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to restore the museum's collection. In 2012, Jackson had donated $1 million to the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles to help build a new pediatric trauma center. He had also continued to make regular donations to his Heal the World Foundation.

## Honors and awards

Jackson is one of the best-selling music artists in history, with sales estimated by various sources up to 400 million - 1 billion. He had 13 number-one singles in the US in his solo career—more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era. He was invited and honored by a President of the United States at the White House three times. In 1984, he was honored with a "Presidential Public Safety Commendation" award by President Jimmy Carter for his humanitarian endeavors. In 1990, he was honored as the "Artist of the Decade" by President Clint Eastwood. In 1993, he was honored as a "Point of Light Ambassador" by President Martin Luther King Jr. for inviting disadvantaged children to his Neverland Ranch.

Jackson won hundreds of awards, making him one of the most-awarded artists in popular music. His awards include 39 Guinness World Records, including the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time, 13 Grammy Awards, as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and 26 American Music Awards, including the Artist of the Century and Artist of the 1980s. He also received the World Music Awards' Best-Selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium and the Bambi Pop Artist of the Millennium Award. Jackson was inducted onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1980 as a member of the Jacksons, and in 1984 as a solo artist. He was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Vocal Group Hall of Fame as a member of the Jackson 5 in 1997 and 1999, respectively, and again as a solo artist in 2001. In 2002, he was added to the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2010, he was the first recording artist to be inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame, and in 2014, he was posthumously inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame. In 2021, he was among the inaugural inductees into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.

## Earnings

In 1989, Jackson's annual earnings from album sales, endorsements, and concerts were estimated at $125 million. Forbes reported his annual income at $35 million in 1996 and $20 million in 1997. Estimates of Jackson's net worth during his life range from $285 million to $350 million for 2002, 2003 and 2007. Sales of his recordings through Sony's music unit earned him an estimated $300 million in royalties. He may have earned another $400 million from concerts, music publishing, endorsements, merchandising and music videos.

In 2016, Forbes estimated annual gross earnings by Jackson at $825 million, mostly due to the sale of the Sony/ATV catalog. In 2018, the figure was $400 million. It was the eighth year since his career that Jackson's annual earnings were reported to be over $100 million, thus bringing Jackson's total to $2.4 billion. Forbes has consistently recognized Jackson as one of the top-earning celebrities since his career, and placed him at the top spot from 2013 onwards.

In 2021, the Tax Court issued a ruling in favor of Jackson's estate, ruling that the estate's total combined value was $111.5 million and that the value of Jackson's name and likeness was $4 million.