My Next Book: Michael Jackson, Inc.

by **Admin** Thu Jan 10, 2013 6:30 pm

My Next Book: Michael Jackson, Inc.
ZACK O'MALLEY GREENBURG (Zack O'Malley Greenburg is a Forbes senior editor)

Note: This was written on 8/29/12

Today marks the 54th anniversary of Michael Jackson’s birth, and millions of fans around the world are celebrating the life of the King of Pop. So, I figured, what better time to announce the birth of my next book—a business-focused biography called Michael Jackson, Inc.

Michael Jackson, Inc. will tell the story of the rise, fall and rise of a billion-dollar empire, focusing on how Jackson’s own underrated business savvy helped him build one of the most impressive realms in the history of entertainment. Yes, Jackson died with hundreds of millions of dollars in debt. But he also left behind at least $1 billion in assets, the result of shrewd decision-making by himself and those who guided him in the 1980s.

My research is progressing rapidly and I’ve already started writing. This summer, I’ve done reporting in Jackson’s hometown of Gary, Indiana, his adopted home of Los Angeles and even Neverland Ranch. I’ve interviewed members of his immediate and extended family; friends from childhood, adolescence and adulthood; lawyers, dealmakers, writers, producers and publicists who worked with him over the years; and representatives from his estate.

As I continue my day job as a staff writer at FORBES covering the music business, I’ve also been collecting anecdotes from the entertainers Jackson worked with over the years. Without giving anything away, let me assure you that I’m building a trove of previously unreported accounts from pop stars, rappers and rockers alike—tales that have never been told and are sure to add another layer of depth to the public perception of Michael Jackson (for a small taste, see my video with Justin Bieber below).

The inspiration for this book couldn’t have been more organic. I’ve been covering the business of Michael Jackson at FORBES for years, watching as his estate racked up roughly half a billion dollars in the three years since his death, more than any single living musician earned over the same period of time. And over and over, many of my sources—in some cases, lawyers who ended up on the opposite side of the table from Jackson—kept telling me that much of Jackson’s posthumous success had to do with smart business decisions he made early in his career.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized there was a story here that needed to be told, a counterintuitive hypothesis about one of the world’s most celebrated figures of all time. To be sure, Michael Jackson made his share of poor choices, especially later in life. I won’t shy away from those moments, but I’ll be sure to present the facts in as neutrally and unsensationally as I have in my FORBES stories over the years (see “The Shockingly Boring Truth About Michael Jackson’s Will”).

I’ve been thrilled to become acquainted with many of Michael Jackson’s fans as I’ve written those stories, and I must say I’ve never encountered a more loyal, knowledgeable and prescient group of people attached to any entertainer. A few of you even suggested that I write a business book about Jackson while I was in the process of pitching it to publishers—thank you so much for that encouragement, and please keep the comments coming. I hope you’ll understand that even as I continue to cover the business of Michael Jackson for FORBES, I’ll have to save some stories for the book!

I’ve decided to donate a portion of proceeds from my book to a good cause (for a book about Michael Jackson, it only seems fitting). I’m leaning toward a charity that would allow me to quantify the donation for readers—every book sold will translate into a meal for someone in need, or a vaccination for someone who can’t afford it, something to that effect. But I still haven’t decided on a charity, so feel free to leave suggestions in the comments field below.

If you’d like to receive email updates on the book, sign up here. (see below for that link) Thanks for reading, and stay tuned. I promise the book will be worth the wait.

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Michael Jackson, Inc
I’m currently working on my second book, a business-focused biography called Michael Jackson, Inc. It will be published by Simon & Schuster’s Atria imprint in 2014. If you’d like to receive updates on my progress every few months — including links to my Forbes stories on the King of Pop, notes on my research, and opportunities to pre-order — add your email address below. And be sure to check out my Forbes.com post on why I decided to write the book. Thanks for reading

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