In the 80’s, there was only one man on my mind and that was Michael Jackson. I was then and still is a big fan. From the glitter gloves and socks, the red Beat It jackets and the penny loafer shoes, I had it all. Every album and every tape. I will never forget the day when my mom took me to see the Jackson 5 at the Fulton County Stadium (now known as Turner Field). To me it was like Barnum & Bailey Circus, the greatest show on earth!

Even with millions of records sold and millions of fans across world purchasing concert tickets, M.J. paraphonalia, etc, it has been a long standing rumor that Michael’s finances are in trouble. Earlier this year, it was reported that he had an estimated $250 million in outstanding loans. M.J. also had a balloon payment owed up to as much as $70 million. But a close confidant and investment adviser, Charles Koppelman, says that Michael “is in good shape.” “He’s in no financial straits as far as I’m concerned.”

Koppelman and Jackson recently took advantage of the falling interest rates and consolidated his debt which lowered his loan payments. “We’re basically finished with the refinancing that needed to get done. That’s the bottom line,” says Koppelman, who declined to discuss specifics of Jackson’s finances with USA Today. (Source)

Throughout Jackson’s career, he’s made quite a few great investment choices. Michael is reportedly worth $350 million. The bulk of his wealth is comes from his 50% stake in Sony/ATV Publishing. Sony/ATV holds the publishing rights to over 4000 popular songs and generates an estimated $80 million in revenue annually. Among the catalogue’s artists:

*The Beatles
*Destiny Child
*Willie Nelson
*Elvis Presley
*Stevie Nicks
*Pearl Jam