The Corporate Legacy of Michael Jackson
In the weeks since Michael Jackson died, fans around the world (along with the relentless media coverage) have shown that the King of Pop’s legacy reaches far and wide.
Editors at Hoover’s compiled the following list of companies that have an MJ connection.
1. AEG Live (part of the Anschutz Co.) – The company was promoting Jackson’s comeback series of 50 concerts that were set to start this month at London’s O2 Arena. AEG also operates the Staples Center in Los Angeles, site of Jackson’s public memorial service.
2. Motown Records – The famed recording label gave Jackson and his brothers a start in the late 1960s, signing the Jackson 5.
3. Sony Music Entertainment – Jackson recorded Thriller, Bad and Dangerous albums with Epic Records, part of the Sony Music Entertainment empire.
4. PepsiCo – In 1984 Jackson suffered serious burns to his face and scalp after a pyrotechnics accident on the set of a commercial for Pepsi Cola. Pepsi settled out of court with Jackson, who donated the $1.5 million to a California hospital.
5. Tellem Worldwide – This PR firm advised the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s office while it was prosecuting Jackson in 2005 on child molestation charges. Jackson ultimately was acquitted of all charges.
6. Colony Capital – Jackson’s Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara County, California, is owned by Sycamore Valley Ranch Company, a joint venture between Jackson and Colony Capital.
7. Universal Studios – Jackson’s only full-length movie role was as the scarecrow in Universal’s The Wiz, an urbanized version of The Wizard of Oz released in 1978 that featured an all-black cast headed by Diana Ross, Jackson, Nipsey Russell, and Ted Ross.
8. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts – Jackson starred in the titular role of Captain EO, a 17-minute, 3-D film directed by the legendary Francis Ford Coppola. Released in 1986, the film was shown exclusively at Disney theme parks for about 10 years.
9. YouTube – The video-sharing Web site has had a flood of thousands hits from people watching Jackson’s iconic Thriller and other music videos. Tributes to the late star also have driven traffic on the site.
10. TMZ Productions – Celebrity gossip Web site TMZ.com was the first entity to report that Jackson had died, beating the mainstream media by several hours.
