Las Vegas Weekly

July 8, 2009 · 8 AM

Is there a tug-of-war for a Michael Jackson museum in Las Vegas?

By Robin Leach

Michael Jackson appears in London to announce his final concerts in the British capital in March 2009.

Photo: The Associated Press

No sooner is the Michael Jackson memorial tribute over than the lawyers get back to the business of wrangling over -- and untangling -- the web of Michael’s finances and future earning power. The first feud appears to be shaping up over the location of a proposed museum similar to what Elvis Presley executors set up at Graceland.

Naturally, that involves Hilton owner Tom Barrack, head of Colony Capital that put up a $25 million loan to help Michael save his debt-wracked Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara, Calif. Insiders say Tom now wants Neverland to be the home of a future Michael Jackson museum.

But the Jackson estate lawyers led by John Branca first want all the memorabilia returned that was taken from Neverland for an auction stopped in April at the last minute in Beverly Hills. If they succeed in recovering that for the estate, it will block Tom’s chance to add it to the proposed Neverland museum.

Now I’m hearing that John and his team believe that any museum should be set up here in Las Vegas as it would be far more of a tourist-friendly destination, and because of Michael’s connections to this city, including the last three months of recording sessions at the Palms.

There’s no way that hundreds of thousands of Michael’s fans could reach Neverland Ranch down its narrow winding country road, and the residents near Santa Barbara would be up in arms over the traffic congestion and fan invasion.

It would be much easier to accommodate that influx here in Las Vegas, as we have the airline support services, the hotel rooms and the highways to handle as many as 45 million visitors a year.

Vegas DeLuxe will continue to monitor this developing story as the lawyers, the bankers and the family all tighten up their posturing positions and prepare for the courtroom battles in front of the judges who will rule on many of these decisions.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter HERE.

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