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The legendary record producer originally asked for $30 million.
Iconic composer and music mogul Quincy Jones who produced Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad was calm and cool on Wednesday as a Los Angeles courtroom jury awarded him $9.4 million in the trial against Michael Jackson’s estate, claiming he was cheated out of royalties after the King of Pop died in 2009.
The award is not the $30 million the legendary producer was hoping for, but the amount reflects more than what the Jackson estate believed they should pay him. Jones, dressed in a gray suit and wearing a lavender dress shirt, looked at a verdict form and paid close attention during the verdict reading Wednesday afternoon.
The deliberations, which began Monday afternoon after the closing arguments ended, cap off the three-week trial after Jones’ years-long fight to prove that he was denied at least $30 million in royalties. Jones sued MJJ Productions in 2013, claiming that he was owed significant money and that he was wrongfully excluded from having the option to remix works he created with Jackson.
Prior to the verdict, the estate had already conceded Jones was owed royalties of less than $400,000 due to accounting errors, but argued that the producer was not entitled to $30 million. Since Jackson’s death, Jones has received about $18 million in royalties, according to court testimony given during the trial.
During the trial, jurors heard testimony from accounting experts, attorneys, music specialists, royalties specialists and the 84-year-old Jones, who took the stand last week to tell his story. Charming in demeanor, yet bold in his assertions that he was cheated out of millions, Jones spoke in court about his significant contributions to Jackson’s musical catalog, which includes the ownership of the masters that are now managed by the estate.
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