Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe divorced after 3 years, 2 months of marriage. The settlement was reportedly an estimated $9M. See the full timeline.
Figures are reported estimates. Last updated Oct 2026.
The King of Pop's brief marriage, which produced two children.
Michael Jackson, the pop star whose album Thriller remains one of the best-selling records of all time, and Debbie Rowe, a dermatology nurse who had worked at his doctor's clinic, became friends in the 1980s. They married in November 1996 in a surprise ceremony in Sydney, Australia, during his world tour. Rowe gave birth to two of Jackson's children, Prince Michael, born in 1997, and Paris, born in 1998. It was Jackson's second marriage, after his short marriage to Lisa Marie Presley.
Jackson's wealth came from record sales, tours and a share of the Beatles catalog, which he bought in the 1980s through ATV Music Publishing and later merged with Sony's publishing business. Albums such as Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad made him the biggest star in the world. Rowe, by contrast, was a medical professional of modest means, and the marriage was unusual in its structure from the beginning.
The couple married in 1996 and divorced in 1999, with the final decree sometimes dated to 2000, after about three years. After the divorce, Rowe gave up most of her parental rights, and Jackson took custody of the two children. She later sought contact with them and testified in 2005 at his trial on child-molestation charges, at which he was acquitted. Jackson died in June 2009.
The press reported a settlement of about $8.5 million, with some reports mentioning an additional sum for the surrender of her parental rights. The details were not made public. The terms were widely seen as confidential and the amount is an estimate.
The sum is modest in relation to Jackson's fortune. The marriage was short and, according to later accounts, had a partly private and contractual character. Rowe's payment reflected both the marriage and her agreement over custody, rather than a conventional division of assets.
Jackson's business interests were not affected, though his finances were under strain in the 2000s because of heavy spending and legal battles. His stake in the Sony/ATV catalog remained his most valuable asset and was later sold after his death. Rowe has kept a low public profile, apart from interviews about her life with Jackson.
The Jackson and Rowe case is one of the smallest on the site in terms of money, but one of the most unusual in terms of structure. It has more in common with the Cage and Presley case, another brief marriage connected to Jackson, than with the big settlements.
Jackson was married to Lisa Marie Presley from 1994 to 1996, directly before Rowe. His children, Prince, Paris and Bigi, are now adults. The $8.5 million figure is a reported estimate.
Debbie Rowe's reported settlement was about $8.5 million.
They married in 1996 and divorced in 2000, a marriage of roughly 4 years.
No prenuptial agreement was reported.
Yes, the family is reported to include 2 children.
Reported assets include: Neverland Ranch, music catalog stake.
The sum is modest in relation to Jackson's fortune. The marriage was short and, according to later accounts, had a partly private and contractual character.
* Settlement terms were not publicly disclosed. This figure is an estimate.