asg said:

Maybe the "opportunist" thing is that he had songs but then again that's probably incorrect to call the sheik one because he did loan him the money and he did do recordings with Michael so he ain't that far off from what he's doing.

PatrickS77 said:

So basically what Michael is saying is, he is not so much of a businessman after all.

Timmy84 said:

Yep, I would say so. For decades Michael has been thought of as a shrewd businessman as well as brilliant entertainer. So he either was never a shrewd businessman--and had other shrewd people working for him making those brilliant business decisions for him, or he actually was shrewd at one point, but has now lost his shrewdness.

Michael Jackson sued by Arab sheikh in UK court

11/17/2008 3:58 PM, AP


The son of an Arab monarch took the King of Pop to court Monday, charging that Michael Jackson took $7 million as an advance on an album and an autobiography that he never produced.

Lawyers for Sheikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa say their client paid Jackson expenses as an advance on the book and joint recording project with the sheikh, who is an amateur songwriter. Jackson claims the money was a gift.

Al Khalifa, 33, was due to testify at London's Royal Courts of Justice Wednesday. Jackson's lawyer Robert Englehart said he was seeking permission to have Jackson testify by video link from Los Angeles.

A lawyer for Al Khalifa said the royal first spoke to Jackson, 50, by telephone while the singer was on trial in California following his 2003 arrest on child molestation charges. Attorney Bankim Thanki said that Al Khalifa wanted to work with Jackson on rebuilding his career. Jackson's finances fell apart after his arrest and he was desperately short of cash.

Al Khalifa's first payment, for $35,000, went toward paying the utility bills at Neverland, Jackson's 2,500-acre (1,000 hectare) ranch and miniature amusement park in California, Thanki said. When Jackson was found innocent of the molestation charges in June 2005, Al Khalifa footed $2.2 million in legal bills, the lawyer said.

Al Khalifa said he believed the money would be repaid once Jackson's career recovered from the damaging trial.

"I saw the payment as an investment in Michael's potential," the sheikh in a statement he read out in court. "He said he would pay me back ... through our work together."

Al Khalifa moved Jackson and his entourage to Bahrain almost immediately after the trial, setting up a recording studio for him in Manama, the Gulf state's capital. The sheikh, who is the governor of the Bahrain's Southern Province, supplied Jackson with $500,000 in cash to subsidize his lifestyle and splashed out on a $350,000 European vacation for Jackson and his associates in February of 2006, Thanki said.

"The costs even included the expenses of bringing out Mr. Jackson's hairdresser," he said.

The lawyer said Jackson and the sheikh became close friends and at one time both lived in a palace in Abu Dhabi owned by Al Khalifa's father, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Bahrain's king. The singer stayed nearly a year in Bahrain as a guest of the son, but the relationship soured when Jackson repudiated a business deal Thanki said they had agreed to.

Jackson's lawyers say the pair never entered a valid agreement and that Al Khalifa's money was given freely.

Thanki acknowledged that Al Khalifa gave some gifts to Jackson but said that most of what the singer received was part of a business deal.

The gifts, he said, "were essentially personal effects — watches, jewelry."

Thanki said the sheik was wealthy but that paying Jackson's bills had taken a big bite out of his finances.

"Some of the payments were staggering by any standards," Thanki said, saying the expenditure "should not be regarded as loose change for my client."

As for Jackson, he still appears to be in difficult financial straits.

Last week he was forced to give up the deed on Neverland, which is named for the mythical land of Peter Pan.

The trial is being held in London because the parties had agreed to take any disputes over their deal to an English court, Al Khalifa's representatives said. The trial is due to wrap up by the end of the month.

http://music.yahoo.com/re...s/61882079
[Edited 11/17/08 13:52pm]

Timmy84 said:

I think Michael is a very good businessman but he has unfortunately sometimes amnesia...

Timmy84 said:

Well, the "opportunist" thing is that he invited MJ to come to Bahrein to "relax" and now wants money for that.... but still, that doesn't take away MJ's responsibility!

Timmy84 said:

Exactly... well, I noticed that already in the Avram case back in '02, but fans kept insisting that he's a great businessman!

monk76 said:

Well, then he's a "perjurer"! Is that a word?

PatrickS77 said:

Damn! I forgot about that case. That wasn't a great deal at all and Michael was forced to pay up. Remember Michael being on the stand. I think that was around the time the nose collapsing stories were reported. Then apparently he didn't answer questions, kept on asking questions, DENIED EVERYTHING he was questioned about when it came to business deals and made faces in front of photographers who were taking pictures.

PatrickS77 said:

Yeah, you ain't too far from "perjurer" being a word.

PatrickS77 said:

exactly. i think this guy was on the take. but now that mj knows this money wasn't a 'gift' or an expression of concern or friendship or whatever, or that he made a mistake in his debilitated state of mind by signing the contract, or whatever, it's time for him to pay up. he made the mistake. he's paying these lawyers to fight a bad case since i don't see him winning this at all. when all is said and done, he's going to be on the hook for close to $10M. he should have settled with the guy; he would have taken $4M, i'm sure. but no, he wants to be stubborn and now he's generated more bad publicity and bad blood.

people who might have gone into business with him are watching this; what do you think they're thinking? but i've said before, i've never put any stock in talk of mj returning to music. he's done.

Breaking News: CNN just aired that Uri Geller is helping Michael and giving him the 7 millions plus 5 millions more for a project Uri is working with Michael.
Turn on CNN.

monk76 said:

Timmy84 said:

i hope this isn't true. god, i hope it isn't.

yeah, he's done. he's so over, there needs to be a new word for over.

monk76 said:

I´m sorry I just had a bad dream.....it´s not true just a dream.....

kibbles said:

If he REALLY did that, Michael Jackson is one of the most dumbest people of all time. That guy USED him supposedly so why would he agree to do business for him. URI GELLER of all the mothafuckas to...

I have to think this guy was fucked from the time he was born.

monk76 said:

LMAO!

How was that a bad dream?

Goodness gracious. Well he's still stupid because of this recent rambling. No wonder people think he's over because he doesn't seem to be a rational thinker.

Timmy84 said:

Well... whatever happened with Bashir and shit... I still think that Geller truely cared and cares for Michael... even though he was also using him for his own fame, deep down he cared for him! At least that was the feeling I got, when I saw them together in England!

PatrickS77 said:

Images are seen to make you think otherwise than what's really going on. Otherwise it does seem he did care but something went wrong in their relationship and apparently Michael thinks he was used while Geller thought it was a big misunderstanding. Just maybe.

Timmy84 said:

Well, yes.. Bashir went wrong! And in all the interviews after I could tell he was sorry about it! I did see Geller at Paddington station, when things got a bit rough around Michael... and I could tell, Geller was terrified and worried and did all he could to keep people back from Michael, to keep him safe... that wasn't an act, and I stood right next to them, as a matter of fact, I almost fell over Michael, as people were pushing from behind!!

Of course, maybe he just didn't want to be the one responsible for getting Michael trampled to death!

PatrickS77 said:

Seriously though, can't anyone handle those fans all up in his grill!

He needed more than Geller and the bodyguards, where was the guards at?

Well, they were all around... it was kinda strange! Before I knew it I was right next to Michael and almost tripping over him, when he crouched down! LOL in a way it was fun... he wasn't as terrified as Geller, he's used to it... actually he was a bit laughing! But when he got nearer to the train some pap was shoving a camera in his face... that's when he got mad... they had to hold him (MJ) back, he was about to punch that pap! And I realize this is totally off-topic... ah, well... at least it was also in London... so there is some connection!

PatrickS77 said:

I think I remember hearing about that. Didn't he give them the finger?

Timmy84 said:

Don´t underestimate the great mind power of Uri Geller!!!!

"achat - schtajim - schalosch"

I stopped believing Michael was a 'shrewd businessman' a long time ago when his early ventures and ideas never panned out. He may have had some good deals here and there but I don't think he's some exceptional talent. He can have all the great ideas and best intentions in the world but at the end of the day it's the output that people will look out. With his track record MJ is a big no-no but if I were a predator he might be nice target.

JackieBlue said:

Honestly. That's one of the most overrated stories about MJ. Problem for me is I actually believed that. Well there goes that story.

JackieBlue said:

Not if Uri is looking after him he ´ll protect him.....

Timmy84 said:

Yeah, he did... I guess that was only the second time he ever gave someone the finger!

PatrickS77 said:

I had to be honest when I saw a picture of that, I didn't initially know what triggered it. Obviously Michael was upset but it's clear who he was directing it at. I remember the 1997 picture where he's wearing his mask and holding Prince and he sees paparazzi and gives them the finger.
[Edited 11/17/08 14:58pm]

Yeah! I love those pictures.. Michael showing some attitude!