英文原文

【英文原文】

Michael Jackson's Will Leaves Estate To Family Trust

摘要：据知情人士透露，迈克尔•杰克逊(Michael Jackson)的遗嘱将财产留给一个家族信托基金，该基金将把巨额财产分给他的三个孩子、他母亲以及慈善团体。这份遗嘱订立已有7年。

Michael Jackson's seven-year-old will bequeaths his estate to a family trust, which in turn is to distribute his sizable assets among his three children, his mother and charities, according to people with knowledge of the trust's terms.

The document, signed by Mr. Jackson and dated July 7, 2002, was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Wednesday morning. But the terms of the Michael Jackson Family Trust haven't been made public. It isn't clear if or when they will be.

The trust makes a provision for the payment of estate taxes, which could be considerable given that the value of Mr. Jackson's assets may exceed his massive debts by as much as $200 million.

The trust makes no provision for Mr. Jackson's father, Joe, according to the people familiar with its terms.

The will appoints Mr. Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, guardian of his three children. In the event that Mrs. Jackson, 79, weren't alive, the will names pop star Diana Ross, a longtime friend of Mr. Jackson's, as guardian.

The will names as co-executors Mr. Jackson's longtime attorney, John Branca, and John McClain, a personal friend and veteran music executive who worked on Mr. Jackson's final studio album, 'Invincible.'

A third executor, accountant Barry Siegel, resigned from that position in 2003, according to a statement from a spokesman for the estate hired by Messrs. Branca and McClain.

Though the distribution of assets called for in the paperwork appears to be straightforward, the situation may be contentious nonetheless.

L. Londell McMillan, a sometime lawyer for Mr. Jackson who said he now represents the singer's parents, made a court filing Monday saying he didn't believe Michael Jackson had a valid will. Mr. McMillan issued a subsequent statement acknowledging the existence of the 2002 will, but didn't respond immediately to emails Wednesday asking if he intends to contest it.

The will states that Mr. Jackson deliberately made no provision for his ex-wife, Debbie Rowe.

Meanwhile, funeral plans appeared to edge closer to clarity, with a statement from Mr. Jackson's family ruling out a public event at Neverland Valley Ranch, Mr. Jackson's 2,600-acre estate in Santa Barbara County, California. Such an event had been widely rumored earlier in the week.

A funeral is likely to take place in Los Angeles, possibly at the 20,000-seat Staples Center. 'Plans are under way regarding a public memorial for Michael Jackson, and we will announce those plans shortly,' the statement said. People close to the singer's family said Katherine Jackson would have final say over funeral arrangements.

Mr. Jackson died Thursday at age 50. He is survived by three children: Prince Michael Jackson Jr., 12; a daughter, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11; and another son, seven-year-old Prince Michael Jackson II. Katherine Jackson was granted temporary guardianship Monday of Mr. Jackson's children.

A judge held off on requests to control the children's estates and gave her limited control over some of her son's personal belongings, pending a hearing Monday.

中文译文

【中文译文】

据知情人士透露，迈克尔•杰克逊(Michael Jackson)的遗嘱将财产留给一个家族信托基金，该基金将把巨额财产分给他的三个孩子、他母亲以及慈善团体。这份遗嘱订立已有7年。

迈克尔•杰克逊遗嘱第一页的部分内容由杰克逊签名、日期为2002年7月7日的这份遗嘱于周三上午呈送洛杉矶高等法院备案。但迈克尔•杰克逊家族信托基金(Michael Jackson Family Trust)的委托条款没有公布。何时公布还不得而知。

信托基金将支付财产税。考虑到杰克逊的财产价值可能比庞大的债务高出至多2亿美元，财产税的数额也会很可观。

知悉委托条款的知情人士说，基金没有为杰克逊的父亲乔(Joe)留出份额。

遗嘱指定杰克逊的母亲凯瑟琳•杰克逊(Katherine Jackson)为三个孩子的监护人。如果79岁的凯瑟琳去世，遗嘱指定杰克逊的老朋友、歌手戴安娜•罗斯(Diana Ross)为监护人。

遗嘱指定长期担任杰克逊代理律师的布兰卡(John Branca)和杰克逊的好友麦克克莱恩(John McClain)为遗嘱执行人。麦克克莱恩也是一位资深音乐人，曾负责杰克逊最后一张专辑Invincible。

第三位执行人是会计师希格尔(Barry Siegel)，据布兰卡和麦克克莱恩雇用的发言人发表的一份声明，希格尔已于2003年辞去执行人一职。

虽然遗嘱中提到的财产分配似乎简单明了，但还是可能存在争议。

曾担任杰克逊律师的麦克米兰(L. Londell McMillan)表示自己现在代表杰克逊的父母，周一他向法庭提交文件称，他认为杰克逊没有立下有效遗嘱。麦克米兰随后发布声明，承认2002年那份遗嘱的存在，但没有立即回应记者询问他是否有意质疑这份遗嘱的邮件。

遗嘱显示，杰克逊有意没有为前妻黛比•若薇(Debbie Rowe)留下财产。

与此同时，杰克逊的葬礼计划似乎也越来越明朗，杰克逊的家人发表声明，不会在“梦幻庄园”举行公开纪念活动。“梦幻庄园”占地2,600英亩，位于加州圣巴巴拉。本周早些时候有传闻说会在梦幻庄园举行纪念活动。

杰克逊的葬礼可能在有2万个座位的洛杉矶斯台普斯中心(staples center)举行。声明中说，公开纪念迈克尔•杰克逊的活动正在计划酝酿当中，我们不久将公布这些计划。熟悉杰克逊家庭情况的人说，葬礼的安排由杰克逊的母亲最终拍板。

杰克逊上周四去世，享年50岁。他有三个孩子：12岁的普林斯(Prince Michael Jackson Jr.)、11岁的女儿帕丽斯(Paris Michael Katherine Jackson)和7岁的小儿子小普林斯(Prince Michael Jackson II)。杰克逊的母亲凯瑟琳周一获得了孩子们的临时监护权。

法官推迟了凯瑟琳接管孩子们所继承财产的申请，只准许她接管杰克逊的个人财产，下周一将就此举行听证会。