To Michael Jackson's Kids: Don't Go 'Stuntin' Like Your Daddy'


"Stuntin like my daddy" was the first song on the album, "Like Father, Like Son," issued by Lil Wayne and Birdman in 2006. "Stuntin" is a hip hop term synonymous with "flossing," blinging," and "balling." It means that you've engaged in excessive spending to ensure that you have the finest of everything and are even willing to live at the edge of your means in order to present appropriate status symbols to the world. Anyone who follows hip hop knows that you should never take financial advice from a rapper. In light of the recent passing of their father, I sincerely hope that the children of Michael Jackson didn't hear the Lil Wayne song, since their daddy's financial "stuntin" before his death has left the children with a conflicted economic legacy.

On one hand, we shouldn't feel sorry for Michael Jackson's kids, at least not financially. Their father's amazing talent gives them a brand that is literally worth well over a billion dollars in future royalties and licensing fees. Michael Jackson may have died physically. But financially, he is still a viable and overwhelmingly powerful corporate entity.

One the other hand, Michael's financial excess is the stuff of legend. On his Neverland Estate, Jackson had a 50 seat cinema, a personal fairground and a zoo. He lived like royalty, for he and his entourage truly considered him to be a King. In some ways Jackson was a more socially commanding figure than a monarch, but spending $20 million per year more than you earn is a great way to end up in bankruptcy court.

The first call the Jackson family should make is to Yolanda, the wife of Muhammad Ali, and here's the reason why:

Yolanda, unlike Muhammad Ali's other wives, didn't marry the boxer when he was still young enough to jump into the ring and make money. She married him when he was 45 years old, nearly broke and falling ill to brain damage resulting from years of being pounded in the skull. As a fighter, the Muhammad Ali we knew was gone. But Yolanda had something that neither Don King, nor anyone else seemed to possess: a genuine concern for Muhammad and the ability to help him manage and liquidate his financial brand.

MJ Through the Years

    Remembering Michael Jackson
    June 25, 2009 marked the passing of the one and only "King of Pop." With over four decades in the spotlight, he never ceased to amaze us. Fittingly, we've witnessed his incredible highs and tragic lows with rapt attention. In tribute, we take a look at the life of pop music's greatest entertainer.

    Retna / Getty Images / AP / WireImage

    'Got To Be There'
    Jackson, seen here during a 1972 'Top of the Pops' television appearance, was poised for greatness. During that year, he released a total of four solo studio albums with the Motown Records label, among them 'Got to Be There' and 'Ben.'

    Retna

    'I'll Be There'
    During the mid-1970s, Michael Jackson evolved from kiddy-pop singer to teen music sensation. Not only did he achieve sterling success with his varied solo projects, the Gary, Indiana native simultaneously recorded hit records with his brothers under their new moniker, The Jacksons.

    Sunshine / Retna

    'Greatest Show On Earth'
    Jackson played the Scarecrow in the 1978 film, 'The Wiz,' an elaborate re-envisioning of 'The Wizard of Oz,' directed by Sidney Lumet and starring a cavalcade of the biggest black celebrities of the time, most notably Diana Ross as Dorothy, Nipsey Russell as The Tin Man, Ted Ross as The Cowardly Lion, Lena Horne as Glenda The Good Witch and Richard Pryor in the title role.

    Getty Images

    'We've Got A Good Thing Going'
    Jackson-- pictured here in 1980 reportedly after breaking his nose during a complex dance routine leading to his initial rhinoplasty surgeries -- was riding a wave of success from the Quincy Jones-produced 'Off The Wall' album. It sold millions of copies and garnered a slew of awards, including American Music Awards, Billboard Awards and a Grammy Award.

    Getty Images

    'Pretty Young Thing'
    Jackson was considered a heartthrob to many of his female fans. During his heyday as an adult solo artist, he made the scene with and was romantically linked to a slew of celebrity women, including Stephanie Mills, Tatum O'Neal and Brooke Shields, whom he is pictured with February 7, 1984.

    Getty Images

    'Come Together'
    In 1980, The Jacksons released the 'Triumph' album, featuring the hits "Lovely One" and "Can You Feel It." Their live opus, which followed the next year, used recordings from the group's "Triumph Tour," which was later described by as one of the best 25 tours from 1967 to 1987.

    Retna

    'Thriller'
    Jackson posed with a group of dancers dressed as zombies while filming his groundbreaking 1983 music video, 'Thriller,' in Los Angeles. The 13-minute film was helmed by 'An American Werewolf in London' director John Landis and featured choreography by award-winning hoofer Michael Peters. Make-up FX wiz Rick Baker transformed Jackson into a werewolf and a zombie.

    Corbis

    'Unbreakable'
    A force to be reckoned with, Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones (who also produced the soundtrack for 'The Wiz,' and the 'Off the Wall' album) made history with the 'Thriller' opus. Thriller was first recognized as the world's best-selling album on February 7, 1984, when it was inducted into the 'Guinness Book of World Records.' On February 28, 1984, the two dynamos were awarded the Grammy for "Producer of the Year." That evening, Jackson made history as the first artist to win eight of the coveted statues in one year.

    Corbis

    'Remember The Time'
    In 1984, The Jacksons released the album 'Victory' and supported the project with the massively successful world tour. Shortly after the jaunt, Michael Jackson left the group as his 'Thriller' album started to gain momentum.

    Hulton Archive / Getty Images


Since his marriage to Yolanda in 1986, Muhammad Ali has gained wealth and universal admiration that he never possessed as a young, lightning quick fighter. Yolanda put her MBA to use and negotiated deals that were sound and fair for her husband. She made sure that money was not spent with extravagance. Thanks to her being able to make something out of what appeared to be nothing, the Ali family now has major dough in the bank, all of which was created without her husband laying out a single punch.

Any financial advisor for Michael Jackson's children must possess qualities similar to Yolanda Ali: The advisors must be savvy, prudent, stern and must genuinely care about Jackson's kids. Most importantly, this person has the great challenge of learning how to make money from the Michael Jackson brand without doing a single moonwalk or concert. That's going to take some hard work, planning and intense discipline.

The bottom line is this: I sincerely hope that the Jackson kids don't grow up "stuntin like their daddy." Instead, they should be "SCRUPULOUSLY stuntin BECAUSE of their daddy": Their advisors should be trustworthy individuals who can delicately realize the value of Michael Jackson's legacy and grow it into the financial empire it was meant to become. They also need to tell some of their original financial managers to "Beat it" (sorry, I just had to say that). Yes, the Jackson children have certainly been left with a challenging situation (half a billion dollars in debt is no joke), but the truth is that their father left them quite a bit to work with.

Without question, Michael Jackson has had a very interesting life. But in some ways, the most interesting part of Michael Jackson's existence has actually just begun.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of "Financial Lovemaking 101: Merging Assets With Your Partner in Ways that Feel Good." For more information, please visit www.DrBoyceMoney.com. To get Dr. Boyce commentary delivered directly to your email box, please click here.

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