曼無狂想地
曼舞飛絮的羈旅，小小的足跡漂泊在文字裏，隨心而來，隨緣而去，隨意而遊，隨喜而嬉，天地一痞。
正文
昨兒個從網路上得知Michael 突發心髒病猝死於洛杉磯，驚訝得自己差點兒下巴掉地。 而後受一則財經新聞吸引趕忙點擊，這新聞是這樣的標題“Jackson lived like king but died awash in debt"，進去一看又吃了一驚，他生前居然欠款將近四億美金。 我不禁多管閑事幫他算了一算，他的五十歲人生從出生時起到生命終點，每一年至少價值八百萬。一年抵得上凡夫俗子三五輩子的家當，值了，雖然五十歲真的有些短暫。 美國的銀行絕不是省油的燈，瞧得起你才會借你錢，借你多少還要看你是佛麵僧麵還是泡麵。換句話說，銀行當時是認定Michael 能解決這樣龐大的債務，樂得釋放銀行的債權。沒成想他就這麽撒手回天，人死債爛，看來某些美國銀行的賬麵上又要多幾筆隱藏的呆賬。我得想想是不是要把手上攢著的銀行股放放，落袋為安。 切~~~ 拍拍自己的腦袋，這不恰恰是杞人憂天，市場是會有一隻看不見的手，但不會是Michael 伸出的那隻手，著急什麽？
Michael 走紅的八零年代是我的前青春年代，他的歌不是我的菜，實話說自己一直對蹦蹦跳跳超快節奏的曲風動心不來。當年最剛開始喜歡的是美國爵士或鄉村歌謠，這些爵士或鄉村歌手都是幾個誌同道合的同好，組成幾人樂團或是個人單挑，樂器大多是簡單的吉他，電子琴，電音鼓，吉它彈奏著挑動靈魂的慢悠曲調，常讓自己不自覺地披上夢的衣裳，帶著醉眼渾身是勁地學唱幹嚎。後來慢慢接受Rock & Roll，想來是源於大學參加舞會被熱鬧氣氛挑逗，漸漸釋出年輕奔放的狂熱。再後來就見Michael獨領風騷並引領時代，表弟妹們開始跟著他的CD，MTV學唱學舞學酷學著搖擺。Michael 紅得發紫的時候，我還一度懷疑Sun Microsystems 所創的Java ，創始人團隊中也許有他的粉絲，要不怎會有Java Swing technology？ 這個命名沒準兒靈感來自New Jack Swing。
創業容易守業難，Michael的莊園如同他的負債一般，讓人感慨萬千。Michael 建造了他的夢幻莊園，在莊園裏讓他的幻想落實成為每天的日常。不曾想，人的一生就像他莊園遊樂場裏的雲霄飛車一樣，起起落落穿山入洞看似規律卻十分無常，他是他的莊園設計者， 他的莊園他作莊， 然而，在莊園之外，命運的雲霄飛車無論貧富貴賤，每個人都得乖乖坐上，幸也不幸的隻有上帝能為命運作莊。於是他的傳奇就隨著命運的雲霄飛車上下震蕩，忽焉疾馳須臾到了終站，所有伴隨旅程的驚悚尖叫鼓掌歡笑，都如飛過的大雁，雁過留聲，卻音稀聲殘。
冷眼旁觀的我，是莊園欄杆外的路客，駐足張望過，並且還無聊地撅起屁股看了莊園風景。天呢！ 四個億的欠款，我不禁噴嚏連連，揩揩鼻涕，當下決定，趕明兒我也要出些妖蛾子到銀行騙騙，設法讓我的人生輝煌輝煌，欠錢的是大爺，我不是大爺還不讓我當大娘麽？
Michael Jackson the singer was also Michael Jackson the billion-dollar business.
Yet after selling more than 61 million albums in the U.S. and having a decade-long attraction open at Disney theme parks, the "King of Pop" died Thursday at age 50 reportedly awash in about $400 million in debt, on the cusp of a final comeback after well over a decade of scandal.
The moonwalking pop star drove the growth of music videos, vaulting cable channel MTV into the popular mainstream after its launch in 1981. His 1982 hit "Thriller," still the second best-selling U.S. album of all time, spawned a John Landis-directed music video that MTV played every hour on the hour.
AP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The ratings were three or four times what they were normally every time the video came on," said Judy McGrath, the chairman and CEO of Viacom's [VIA 23.71 -0.04 (-0.17%) ] MTV Networks. "He was inextricably tied to the so-called MTV generation."
Five years later, "Bad" sold 22 million copies. In 1991, he signed a $65 million recording deal with Sony.
Jackson was so popular that Walt Disney [DIS 23.41 -0.14 (-0.59%) ] hitched its wagon to his star in 1986, opening a 3-D movie at its parks called "Captain EO," executive produced by George Lucas and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The last attraction in Paris closed 12 years later.
One of Jackson's shrewdest deals at the height of his fame in 1985 was the $47.5 million acquisition of ATV Music, which owned the copyright to songs written by the Beatles' John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The catalog provided Jackson a steady stream of income and the ability to afford a lavish lifestyle.
He bought the sprawling Neverland ranch in 1988 for $14.6 million, a fantasy-like 2,500-acre property nestled in the hills of Santa Barbara County's wine country.
But the bombshell hit in 1993 when he was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy.
"That kind of represents the beginning of the walk down a tragic path, financially, emotionally, spiritually, psychologically, legally," said Michael Levine, his publicist at the time.
He settled with the boy's family, but other accounts of his alleged pedophilia began to emerge.
Slideshow: Selling Neverland -- the Auction that Never Was
When he ran into further financial problems, he agreed to a deal with Sony in 1995 to merge ATV with Sony's library of songs and sold Sony music publishing rights for $95 million. Then in 2001, he used his half of the ATV assets as collateral to secure $200 million in loans from Bank of America [BAC 12.76 0.41 (+3.32%) ].
As his financial problems continued, Jackson began to borrow large sums of money, according to a 2002 lawsuit by Union Finance & Investment that sought $12 million in unpaid fees and expenses.
In 2003, Jackson was arrested on charges that he molested another 13-year-old boy. The 2005 trial, which ultimately ended in an acquittal, brought to light more details of Jackson's strained finances.
One forensic accountant testified that the singer had an "ongoing cash crisis" and was spending $20 million to $30 million more per year than he earned.
Facing Foreclosure
In March of last year, the singer faced foreclosure on Neverland. He also repeatedly failed to make mortgage payments on a house in Los Angeles that had been used for years by his family.
In addition, Jackson was forced to defend himself against a slew of lawsuits in recent years, including a $7 million claim from Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the second son of the king of Bahrain.
Memorabilia auctions were frequently announced but became the subject of legal wrangling and were often canceled.
Time and again, however, Jackson found a way to wring cash out of high-value assets, borrowing tens of millions at a time or leaning on wealthy friends for advice, if not for money.
Al Khalifa, 33, took Jackson under his wing after his acquittal, moving him to the small Gulf estate and showering him with money.
In his lawsuit, Al Khalifa claimed he gave Jackson millions of dollars to help shore up his finances, cut an album, write an autobiography and subsidize his lifestyle -- including more than $300,000 for a "motivational guru." The lawsuit was settled last year for an undisclosed amount. Neither the album nor book was ever produced.
Another wealthy benefactor came to Jackson's aid last year as he faced the prospect of losing Neverland in a public auction.
Billionaire Thomas Barrack, chairman and CEO of Los Angeles-based real estate investment firm Colony Capital, agreed to bail out the singer and set up a joint venture with Jackson that took ownership of the vast estate.
Barrack was unavailable for comment Thursday, but referred to the singer in a statement as a "gentle, talented and compassionate man."
Sold-Out London Shows
Sharon Lorimer
The 02 Arena in London on Jun. 26, where Jackson was to perform in a series of sold-out summer shows.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A final piece of the financial jigsaw puzzle fell into place in March, when billionaire Philip Anschutz' concert promotion company AEG Live announced it would promote 50 shows in London's O2 arena. Tickets sold out, and the first show of the "This is It" tour was set for July 8.
Jackson, who has won 13 Grammys, hadn't toured since 1997. His last studio album, "Invincible," was released in 2001.
Slideshow: Celebrity Auction -- Elvis and Marilyn
But the opening date was later postponed to July 13 and some shows moved back to March 2010, fueling speculation that Jackson was suffering from health ailments that could curtail his comeback bid.
His death, caused by cardiac arrest according to his brother Jermaine, raised the question whether an insurer would refund money to ticketholders. AEG Live did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Jackson was practicing for the concert in Los Angeles at the Staples Center with Kenny Ortega, a choreographer and director of the "High School Musical" movies, who has worked on previous Jackson videos like "Dangerous" in 1993.
"We had a 25-year friendship. This is all too much to comprehend," Ortega said in a statement. "This was the world's greatest performer and the world will miss him."
Michael 走紅的八零年代是我的前青春年代，他的歌不是我的菜，實話說自己一直對蹦蹦跳跳超快節奏的曲風動心不來。當年最剛開始喜歡的是美國爵士或鄉村歌謠，這些爵士或鄉村歌手都是幾個誌同道合的同好，組成幾人樂團或是個人單挑，樂器大多是簡單的吉他，電子琴，電音鼓，吉它彈奏著挑動靈魂的慢悠曲調，常讓自己不自覺地披上夢的衣裳，帶著醉眼渾身是勁地學唱幹嚎。後來慢慢接受Rock & Roll，想來是源於大學參加舞會被熱鬧氣氛挑逗，漸漸釋出年輕奔放的狂熱。再後來就見Michael獨領風騷並引領時代，表弟妹們開始跟著他的CD，MTV學唱學舞學酷學著搖擺。Michael 紅得發紫的時候，我還一度懷疑Sun Microsystems 所創的Java ，創始人團隊中也許有他的粉絲，要不怎會有Java Swing technology？ 這個命名沒準兒靈感來自New Jack Swing。
創業容易守業難，Michael的莊園如同他的負債一般，讓人感慨萬千。Michael 建造了他的夢幻莊園，在莊園裏讓他的幻想落實成為每天的日常。不曾想，人的一生就像他莊園遊樂場裏的雲霄飛車一樣，起起落落穿山入洞看似規律卻十分無常，他是他的莊園設計者， 他的莊園他作莊， 然而，在莊園之外，命運的雲霄飛車無論貧富貴賤，每個人都得乖乖坐上，幸也不幸的隻有上帝能為命運作莊。於是他的傳奇就隨著命運的雲霄飛車上下震蕩，忽焉疾馳須臾到了終站，所有伴隨旅程的驚悚尖叫鼓掌歡笑，都如飛過的大雁，雁過留聲，卻音稀聲殘。
冷眼旁觀的我，是莊園欄杆外的路客，駐足張望過，並且還無聊地撅起屁股看了莊園風景。天呢！ 四個億的欠款，我不禁噴嚏連連，揩揩鼻涕，當下決定，趕明兒我也要出些妖蛾子到銀行騙騙，設法讓我的人生輝煌輝煌，欠錢的是大爺，我不是大爺還不讓我當大娘麽？
Michael Jackson the singer was also Michael Jackson the billion-dollar business.
Yet after selling more than 61 million albums in the U.S. and having a decade-long attraction open at Disney theme parks, the "King of Pop" died Thursday at age 50 reportedly awash in about $400 million in debt, on the cusp of a final comeback after well over a decade of scandal.
The moonwalking pop star drove the growth of music videos, vaulting cable channel MTV into the popular mainstream after its launch in 1981. His 1982 hit "Thriller," still the second best-selling U.S. album of all time, spawned a John Landis-directed music video that MTV played every hour on the hour.
AP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The ratings were three or four times what they were normally every time the video came on," said Judy McGrath, the chairman and CEO of Viacom's [VIA 23.71 -0.04 (-0.17%) ] MTV Networks. "He was inextricably tied to the so-called MTV generation."
Five years later, "Bad" sold 22 million copies. In 1991, he signed a $65 million recording deal with Sony.
Jackson was so popular that Walt Disney [DIS 23.41 -0.14 (-0.59%) ] hitched its wagon to his star in 1986, opening a 3-D movie at its parks called "Captain EO," executive produced by George Lucas and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The last attraction in Paris closed 12 years later.
One of Jackson's shrewdest deals at the height of his fame in 1985 was the $47.5 million acquisition of ATV Music, which owned the copyright to songs written by the Beatles' John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The catalog provided Jackson a steady stream of income and the ability to afford a lavish lifestyle.
He bought the sprawling Neverland ranch in 1988 for $14.6 million, a fantasy-like 2,500-acre property nestled in the hills of Santa Barbara County's wine country.
But the bombshell hit in 1993 when he was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy.
"That kind of represents the beginning of the walk down a tragic path, financially, emotionally, spiritually, psychologically, legally," said Michael Levine, his publicist at the time.
He settled with the boy's family, but other accounts of his alleged pedophilia began to emerge.
Slideshow: Selling Neverland -- the Auction that Never Was
When he ran into further financial problems, he agreed to a deal with Sony in 1995 to merge ATV with Sony's library of songs and sold Sony music publishing rights for $95 million. Then in 2001, he used his half of the ATV assets as collateral to secure $200 million in loans from Bank of America [BAC 12.76 0.41 (+3.32%) ].
As his financial problems continued, Jackson began to borrow large sums of money, according to a 2002 lawsuit by Union Finance & Investment that sought $12 million in unpaid fees and expenses.
In 2003, Jackson was arrested on charges that he molested another 13-year-old boy. The 2005 trial, which ultimately ended in an acquittal, brought to light more details of Jackson's strained finances.
One forensic accountant testified that the singer had an "ongoing cash crisis" and was spending $20 million to $30 million more per year than he earned.
Facing Foreclosure
In March of last year, the singer faced foreclosure on Neverland. He also repeatedly failed to make mortgage payments on a house in Los Angeles that had been used for years by his family.
In addition, Jackson was forced to defend himself against a slew of lawsuits in recent years, including a $7 million claim from Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the second son of the king of Bahrain.
Memorabilia auctions were frequently announced but became the subject of legal wrangling and were often canceled.
Time and again, however, Jackson found a way to wring cash out of high-value assets, borrowing tens of millions at a time or leaning on wealthy friends for advice, if not for money.
Al Khalifa, 33, took Jackson under his wing after his acquittal, moving him to the small Gulf estate and showering him with money.
In his lawsuit, Al Khalifa claimed he gave Jackson millions of dollars to help shore up his finances, cut an album, write an autobiography and subsidize his lifestyle -- including more than $300,000 for a "motivational guru." The lawsuit was settled last year for an undisclosed amount. Neither the album nor book was ever produced.
Another wealthy benefactor came to Jackson's aid last year as he faced the prospect of losing Neverland in a public auction.
Billionaire Thomas Barrack, chairman and CEO of Los Angeles-based real estate investment firm Colony Capital, agreed to bail out the singer and set up a joint venture with Jackson that took ownership of the vast estate.
Barrack was unavailable for comment Thursday, but referred to the singer in a statement as a "gentle, talented and compassionate man."
Sold-Out London Shows
Sharon Lorimer
The 02 Arena in London on Jun. 26, where Jackson was to perform in a series of sold-out summer shows.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A final piece of the financial jigsaw puzzle fell into place in March, when billionaire Philip Anschutz' concert promotion company AEG Live announced it would promote 50 shows in London's O2 arena. Tickets sold out, and the first show of the "This is It" tour was set for July 8.
Jackson, who has won 13 Grammys, hadn't toured since 1997. His last studio album, "Invincible," was released in 2001.
Slideshow: Celebrity Auction -- Elvis and Marilyn
But the opening date was later postponed to July 13 and some shows moved back to March 2010, fueling speculation that Jackson was suffering from health ailments that could curtail his comeback bid.
His death, caused by cardiac arrest according to his brother Jermaine, raised the question whether an insurer would refund money to ticketholders. AEG Live did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Jackson was practicing for the concert in Los Angeles at the Staples Center with Kenny Ortega, a choreographer and director of the "High School Musical" movies, who has worked on previous Jackson videos like "Dangerous" in 1993.
"We had a 25-year friendship. This is all too much to comprehend," Ortega said in a statement. "This was the world's greatest performer and the world will miss him."
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