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Who's Who in the Court of King Michael
3:41pm UK, Friday July 03, 2009
Pete Norman, Sky News Online
So just how did Michael Jackson end up agreeing to play a series of concerts in a London venue?
Courtiers (L-R): Randy Phillips; Conrad Murray; Thomas Barrack; Tohme R. Tohme
Sky News Online looks at the connections that made up the Court of King Michael:
Apart from shrewdly buying the
The Beatles' back catalogue in the 1980s - after
Paul McCartney suggested he buy into music publishing - most of Jackson's business moves ended in legal woes.
Life after Neverland became a world of temporary accomodation, a hidden entourage, messy management - and a failed comeback that likely ends in litigation for some.
Conrad Murray
Jackson's personal physician, cardiologist Conrad Murray, was the man pumping frantically on the pop star's chest on a bed in the AEG-rented Holmby Hills mansion on June 25, as an aide called 911.
Since described as a "financially strapped Vegas physician" by America's media, Murray had closed down his medical firm, Global Cardiovascular Associates Inc, just ten days before Jackson died.
In a letter to patients, Murray said that "because of a once in a lifetime opportunity, I had to make the most difficult decision to cease practice of medicine indefinitely".
Jackson during rehearsal for the London concerts
With his car since impounded by police and having undertaken two interviews with authorities, Murray has also faced unproven claims of culpability and pill procurement.
Tohme Tohme
Struggling to remain composed,
Jermaine Jackson confirmed the shock death of his brother at a UCLA press conference.
He walked off stage and hugged Dr Tohme R Tohme.
Not a practicing doctor, Dr Tohme had been the dead singer's unofficial manager for several years, in what one insider called Jackson's "vagabond existence" flitting between countries and on the largesse of others.
Dr Tohme was dropped from his managerial role earlier this year - but he wasn't out of the scene for long.
He has since admitted to Fox News that he is unlicenced and would not say where or in what he specialised in.
Believed to be Lebanese, Dr Tohme describes himself as the "Ambassador at Large" for the country of Senegal - a claim apparently disputed by diplomats.
On his website, TRW Advertising, Dr Tohme says his co-owner is a winner of
Venice and
Cannes film festivals as well as being responsible for Ronald Reagan's presidential campaign.
Early last year Jermaine Jackson asked Dr Tohme to help solve the financial crisis as his brother Michael defaulted on a mortgage payment for Neverland. Dr Tohme knew who to call.
You are talking about a guy who could make $500m a year if he puts his mind to it.
Thomas Barrack, who bought Neverland, on Michael Jackson's value
In addition to being responsible for airing a 240-second King of Pop promo for ticket sales on British TV, Dr Tohme did more mundane corporate videos.
One video was for property investment firm Colony Capital, so Dr Tohme called owner Thomas Barrack in March, 2008.
Thomas Barrack
Within a week of Dr Tohme's call Colony Capital boss Barrack visited
Las Vegas where Jackson was holed up in a non-descript housing compound.
The frail singer was struggling with debt nearing $400m (£240m) and was being moved around in a wheelchair.
Barrack became the owner of
Neverland's decaying 2,700-acres and rumours circulated of a plan to subdivide and sell Neverland in 100-acre parcels.
Concerts would have made millions
But Barrack was hit hard by the credit crunch and is working on a public float of a subsidiary.
His investment funds have stakes throughout the US, and in retailer Carrefour, football team Paris St Germain and even London's Savoy Hotel.
The lawyer and former political appointee knows Neverland well, having lived on a nearby 1,200-acre ranch since 1992.
While Neverland is only 10 miles away, another sprawling property 14 miles in the other direction is owned by Barrack's former boss, President
Ronald Reagan.
Barrack also saw the value in getting Jackson performing again.
"You are talking about a guy who could make US$500m a year if he puts his mind to it," he said recently.
"There are very few individual artists who are multi-billion dollar businesses. And he is one."
The guy was willing to leave his practice for a very large sum of money so we hired him.
AEG Live's Randy Phillips on Dr Conrad Murray
It was Barrack who called in pal and business tycoon Philip Anschutz, who controls concert production firm
AEG Live.
The president and chief executive of AEG Live, lawyer Randy Phillips, estimated Jackson would make up to US$100m from the 50 London concerts - perhaps rising to US$500m for a world tour.
Yet Phillips downplayed his firm's motives.
"We're not in this for the money - we're taking a huge risk on Michael," he said.
Indeed they were.
Tributes outside the Neverland ranch
As the world awaits the toxicology results for the dead singer, Phillips' firm has come under intense scrutiny over the role of one of its contract workers - Conrad Murray.
"Michael insisted on hiring Dr Murray, because he told us he was his personal physician... that he had been Michael's personal physician for three years," Mr Phillips told Sky News exclusively.
"The guy was willing to leave his practice for a very large sum of money so we hired him."
With a memorial service likely to be confirmed for the 20,000-seat AEG-owned
Staples Center next Tuesday, the chaotic carnival that surrounded Michael Jackson in life and in death may come to an end.
Organisers will need to vacate the venue quickly - on Wednesday it is opening night there of the Ringling Bros & Barnum and Bailey Circus.