6/28/2009

Michael Jackson's Death - What About the Life Insurance Policies?

There's more and more chatter online and off regarding Michael Jackson and his surprising and untimely death. Talk about his huge amount of debt, talk about what's been done to protect the children's inheritance, talk about his drug use, and talk about the leeches that hung around him.

I've read about the London tour involving 50 gigs, when Michael Jackson was originally told there would be only 10. I've read about his nixing an offer to be paid over $2 million to entertain at the party of some Russian rich guy.

But, as a lawyer, here's what I know and I'm not hearing a thing on this issue: life insurance policies exist outside the Estate of Michael Jackson; they are contracts that pay directly to the beneficiary of the policy.

Why aren't we hearing about life insurance policies in all this talk?

I find it very, very curious that we're not hearing anything about these policies and I'm betting that there are several out there. I'm betting SONY had one on him. I'm betting the London promoters had one. I'm HOPING there is one or more in place for his children.

If MJ was too frail or ill to perform in London, then it's scary to think that life insurance might have made him more valuable dead than alive.

And, I'm also wondering that if the nasty rumors are true, that MJ was so ill and so frail that he could not have performed in London, then what impact those life insurance policies have upon a motive in his death. If there are significant policies out there, MJ may have been worth more death than alive and someone should be investigating this concern.

Complications: suicide (and there's been talk of that) would exempt the payout by the life insurance carrier -- unless enough time had passed since the policies had been created (for example, a policy may pay provide benefits on a suicide if the policy has been in effect for over 2 years at the time of death). And, if the insurance carrier found that the beneficiary contributed the death, then they would not pay out benefits.

Where are the insurance carriers' teams of investigators?

So, why aren't we hearing about this life insurance policies? And, why aren't we hearing about the investigators for the insurance companies being involved in the current investigation? Are they being that subtle, or are there no policies?