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Nine months after his sudden death, Michael Jackson has landed the biggest recording deal in history. The singer's estate has signed a $200million (£131m) seven-year contract for ten projects, including an album of never-before-heard songs, a video game and the re-release of his hugely successful album, Off The Wall.
The landmark deal with Sony dwarfs other contracts signed by stars such as Madonna, who has an £80million contract, and rapper Jay-Z, whose deal is said to be worth £100million.
The Jackson deal - which could also include a Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas based on his hits - is even more remarkable because it does not include royalties from any merchandise linked to the new releases.
Music industry experts predict that the contract could be worth close to £180million by the time it expires in 2017.
The 50-year-old singer died from an overdose of the anaesthetic Propofol last June, just weeks before he was about to embark on a comeback tour at the 02 arena.
Industry figures show he has sold 31million albums since then, earning more than £165million. This Is It, a film of rehearsal footage of his London concert released last October - has also taken £160million at the box office.
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