Michael Jackson was not just a musical genius—he was also a businessman with big dreams. Throughout his career, he launched numerous ventures beyond music, ranging from theme parks to energy drinks, entertainment companies, and even an online casino. While some of his investments were successful, others failed due to mismanagement, financial burdens, and legal troubles.
In this article, we take an in-depth look at Michael Jackson’s failed business ventures and analyze what went wrong.
In 1988, Michael Jackson purchased Neverland Ranch, a 2,700-acre property in Los Olivos, California, for an estimated $17 million. Inspired by Peter Pan, Jackson transformed the ranch into a private amusement park, complete with carnival rides, a zoo, and a train system.
His vision was to create a commercial theme park and retreat for underprivileged children, celebrities, and VIPs. Some sources suggest that he entertained the idea of opening it to the public as a business venture, similar to Disneyland.
Neverland Valley Ranch in Santa Barbara County, California, on the edge of Los Padres National Forest.
Neverland was ultimately sold in 2020 for $22 million, far below its previous valuation of $100 million.
In 1996, Jackson teamed up with Saudi billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal to launch Kingdom Entertainment, a global entertainment company based in Bahrain. The goal was to invest in theme parks, films, and music ventures on a massive scale.
Jackson and Alwaleed became friends in 1994, when a mutual acquaintance from Alwaleed’s college days in California set up a lunch meeting on the prince’s yacht in Cannes.
Michael Jackson & Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal
Kingdom Entertainment disappeared, leaving no tangible impact on the entertainment industry.
In the 1990s, Jackson planned to enter Japan’s booming energy drink market with a beverage called “Mystery Drink.” Inspired by the success of brands like Red Bull, Jackson’s drink was rumored to be an exclusive high-end energy drink marketed to fans.
The drink never hit the market, and very little information exists about the planned formula or branding.
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Jackson explored building his own Las Vegas theme park, possibly called “MJ’s Kingdom.” The park would have been modeled after Neverland but open to the public.
MJ’s Kingdom: The Las Vegas Theme Park
MJ’s Kingdom never moved past the conceptual phase, though Jackson’s estate later partnered with Cirque du Soleil for the Michael Jackson ONE residency in Las Vegas.
Jackson’s 1996 short film Ghosts, co-written with Stephen King, was meant to launch a full-length horror movie franchise. Ghosts tells the tale of an eccentric man with supernatural abilities who is driven out of a small town by its judgmental mayor.
Michael Jackson portrays five different characters and performs dance routines to the songs "2 Bad," "Is It Scary," and "Ghosts," which are from his albums HIStory (1995) and Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix (1997). The AV Club has described Ghosts as an allegory reflecting Jackson's life and his status in pop culture
Michael Jackson “Ghosts” Movie
Though Ghosts became a cult classic, it never became the franchise Jackson envisioned.
In 2005, Jackson partnered with online gaming companies to create MJ Universe, a Las Vegas-based online casino featuring Michael Jackson-themed games. In 20011, a gambling website acquired a piece of the singer’s hair and planned to turn it into a roulette ball.
Announced in a press release titled "The King of Pop to Rock & Roll Again," the casino website bought the small lock of hair for $10,871 from an online memorabilia dealer, Gotta Have Rock & Roll. Interestingly, the sellers reportedly obtained the hair from Jackson’s stay at the Carlyle Hotel in New York.
Michael Jackson’s Online Casino
The project was quickly scrapped, and no official Jackson-branded casino ever launched.
In the early 2000s, Jackson worked on a comeback album, collaborating with Will.i.am, Akon, and Ne-Yo. The project was expected to revive his career. It was reported that when he recorded a song with MJ in 2009, Will.i.am reported being both frustrated and in awe that Jackson warmed up for three hours to sing a five-minute song.
Michael Jackson’ and will.i.am
The album was never released in Jackson’s lifetime, though some songs were later compiled into Michael (2010).
Michael Jackson’s failed business ventures reveal key lessons about entrepreneurship:
Despite these failures, Michael Jackson remains one of the highest-earning deceased celebrities, proving that even setbacks can’t erase a lasting legacy.
Would you have invested in any of these projects? Let us know in the comments.
