Dying in June 2009 of a cardiac arrest, the “Billie Jean” hitmaker had been writing in a secret diary about being “the greatest ever” and wanting to be remembered forever like Walt Disney and Charlie Chaplin.
Excerpts from Bad: An Unprecedented Investigation into the Michael Jackson Cover-Up revealed the singer wanted to be “immortalized.”
The singer also revealed his plans to earn $20 million a week before his passing at 50. He was also looking to do concerts with Cirque du Soleil, signing a brand deal with Nike as well as starring in Hollywood films as well as gigs at London’s O2 Arena.
He wrote: “If I don’t concentrate on film, no immortalization.”
In the diary, Jackson also shared his concerns about his team of managers and other staff, as he revealed he was keen to sign his own checks over a significant figure.
He wrote: “I want to sign all checks over $5,000 now. Hire an accountant I trust now and lawyer. I want to meet him.”
The diary also revealed Michael’s paranoia at times, as he wrote about being afraid of “evil people everywhere.”
He wrote: “I’m afraid someone is trying to kill me. Evil people everywhere. They want to destroy me and take my publishing company. The system wants to kill me for my catalogue … I’m not selling it.”
The book’s author, former National Enquirer editor and investigative journalist Dylan Howard, said: “While the facts of Michael’s demise don’t add up to suicide, they certainly reveal a overburdened man who slowly killed himself through drug use. And those who surrounded him took advantage of his helplessness.”
