John Branca was played by Miles Teller in 'Michael'
Credit: John Branca/Instagram; Andreas Rentz/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Entertainment lawyer John Branca represented Michael Jackson on and off for nearly 30 years
- He is now the co-executor of Jackson’s estate
- Branca is portrayed in the biopic Michael by Miles Teller
Entertainment lawyer John Branca has represented some of the industry's biggest stars, but none more influential than Michael Jackson.
Branca first met the King of Pop in 1980, shortly after the release of Jackson's breakthrough solo album Off the Wall. At the time, Jackson was beginning to build a team separate from his family as his solo career accelerated.
Branca served as Jackson's attorney on and off for nearly three decades, playing a key role in shaping both his business empire and global brand. In addition to negotiating major deals — including Jackson's purchase of Neverland Ranch — Branca also helped orchestrate landmark moves like the acquisition of the ATV Music catalog, which included publishing rights to songs by The Beatles.
When Jackson died in 2009, Branca was named co-executor of his estate.
So, where is John Branca now? Here's everything to know about where Michael Jackson's former lawyer is today.
John Branca became Michael Jackson's lawyer in 1980
Credit: John Branca/Instagram
Jackson's decision to step away from his family's management in the late 1970s set the stage for his relationship with Branca. After years under the guidance of his father, Joe Jackson, the singer began building a more independent, professional team as his solo career took off following Off the Wall.
It was during this transition, in 1980, that Jackson and Branca first met. The two quickly formed a partnership that became a cornerstone of Jackson's next era.
“Michael and I hit it off right from the start,” Branca told Occidental College in March 2017. “Michael had a spark about him. He was funny. He was polite. He was inquisitive. He was ambitious, driven and competitive. He'd never accept second best.”
He helped Michael Jackson purchase Neverland Ranch and ATV Music
Credit: Ringo Chiu/ZUMA Wire/Shutterstock
Branca helped broker several of Jackson's most defining business moves, shaping both his career and long-term financial legacy.
In 1983, Branca secured an unprecedented $1.2 million budget for the “Thriller” music video by packaging and selling the behind-the-scenes documentary Making Michael Jackson's Thriller to MTV and Showtime.
Two years later, Branca spearheaded Jackson's landmark 1985 acquisition of ATV Music, which owned the rights to songs by The Beatles, for $47.5 million. The deal saw Jackson outbid Paul McCartney himself.
“It took about a year,” Branca told Occidental College of the deal. “Along the way, he had investment advisers who told him it was way too expensive. And Michael would listen and smile and say, ‘Branca, get me that catalog.' ”
Branca also handled the 1988 purchase of Neverland Ranch for approximately $17 million, negotiating the acquisition of the property that Jackson would later transform into his famed private estate.
Branca worked with Michael Jackson on and off for over 30 years
Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic; Michael Ochs Archive/Getty
Jackson and Branca had an on-and-off working relationship, as the singer was known to frequently rotate managers, lawyers and advisers.
Branca told Occidental College that his tenure spanned multiple periods: “1980 to '89 or '90, then I came back in '92 or '93. Then there were little gaps when some new person would come in. I stopped representing him in 2006.”
Jackson rehired Branca on June 17, 2009 — just eight days before the pop star's death.
Where is John Branca now?
Credit: Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty
In his will, Jackson named Branca and music executive John McClain as co-executors of his estate.
Since then, they have overseen major posthumous projects, including large-scale ventures like Michael Jackson ONE with Cirque du Soleil. The estate is hugely profitable: In 2016, Forbes reported that it earned $825 million in that year alone, largely from the $750 million sale of Jackson's half of the ATV publishing catalog.
Branca's tenure, however, hasn't been without controversy. In recent years, Jackson's daughter, Paris Jackson, has raised concerns about financial oversight of her father's estate, including accusing the estate of making “premium payouts" to attorneys and claiming that the executors used court filings to “mock and belittle” her.
Outside of the estate, Branca is a partner at the Los Angeles entertainment law firm Ziffren Brittenham. He is also portrayed by Miles Teller in Michael and served as an executive producer on the project.
“Miles is a great actor. Can't tell you how much I liked his performance,” Branca told TMZ.
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