Inside Michael Jackson’s $1 Billion Vault

Michael Jackson is known as the king of pop, and it is clear that he considers himself royalty. Over and over again,  we see crowns, thrones, and artwork of Michael adorned as a monarch. >> This is  the cover from Michael’s Lamborghini. >> Oh, >> yeah. Yeah. >> Okay. >> I have the hat and the um and the key to it still.

>> This is a 1966 Corvet that Michael learned to drive stick shift in here at the hanger. >> Wait, wait.  He’s been in this hanger. >> Yeah. Yeah. He worked here every day. That’s where all the artwork was made is in this hanger where we are right now. >> For decades, Michael Jackson quietly collected far more than gold records and awards.

Hidden away were unreleased songs, handwritten lyrics, personal journals, rare photographs, stage  costumes, and countless pieces of his life that most fans never even knew existed. Some of them have never been seen by the public. Others are worth millions on their own. Together, the collection has been valued at more than a billion dollars.

So, what was Michael Jackson actually keeping inside this vault? Let’s step inside and find out. >> This is it. >> This is um you know, the coolest place I’ve ever seen in my life. You know, I don’t really like this like a this like a museum on crack chat. You know, we’re going to go through all this stuff. It’s not just paintings. There’s clothes.

There’s sculptures. Um >> and there’s a lot of stories to tell, too. >> Furniture. >> Furniture. >> History. >> How much do you think like this whole thing is worth?  We got two hangers. Okay. >> And this is one of them. The other one has like a lot more stuff in it, too. [snorts] >> Well over a billion dollars of everything in here.

>> I thought it was a few hundred million. Never mind. >> That’s We got pieces worth that. >> That’s crazy. >> Wow. Oh, I was l I looked out. >> Yeah, that’s that’s a big dragonfly flying by. So, >> is there any like any of these couches? Are they just random couches or do they have any stories behind them? >> No, they got all this this all Michael’s furniture. This is his stuff.

> So, he sat right here. Oh, we slept on here. >> Oh, we slept on this. Yeah. Yeah. >> When people hear about Michael Jackson’s vault, they usually think of unreleased music. But that’s only part of what’s hidden inside. Among the recordings are personal items that reveal a completely different side of Michael’s creativity.

One of them is the Hardman piano, where countless ideas first came to  life. Sitting beside it is a chair Michael turned into his own artwork, covering it with drawings, signing it,  and even planning to release it as part of a limited edition collection. His creativity didn’t stop with music.

He also named and copyrighted many of his artworks, treating them with the same care as his songs. One sketch, My Dream, was carefully documented, while another, their majesties, the King and Queen of Oz, represented Michael and Lisa Marie Presley. It’s the kind of discovery that reminds you this vault holds far more than music.

It holds pieces of Michael’s imagination. >> Well, this this is a studio piano. Yeah. So, it’s it’s a little little beat up, but history. And then >> wow. >> And then uh here’s here’s  an interesting chair right here. This is one of his chairs. >> He had this idea of uh of that he wanted to do a limited edition of chairs.

And a lot of his artwork, you can see this in in especially his chair pieces. See this? This is his artwork here. >> Oh wow. >> He drew that on there. And that’s his that’s his signature down there. And so I had to make sure anybody coming  here doesn’t clean the furniture, you know. He uh recorded all of his art.

Uh this was all recorded by his last lawyer. >> Okay. >> Who did the AG agreement called uh for this is it. >> Mhm. >> But he named this piece my dream. Maybe while we got it here. >> There’s there’s a photograph of him with the sketch of this piece here. He he named everything. It was all recorded at the copyright office. >> Yeah.

Um and uh so this one he called it their majesties the king and  queen of oz they met. And so this is king and queen. Yeah. >> And he he says this this is and this is at the time he said this is me and Lisa. >> The deeper you go the more you realize the most fascinating pieces aren’t always the most expensive. They’re the ones that explain how Michael created the image the world remembers.

According to the people preserving the archive, it all started with a simple pair of socks given to him as a gift. That idea eventually evolved into one of his most recognizable trademarks, leading to the famous sequined glove. Around it are more pieces that trace his creative journey from artwork inspired by his own sketches  to clothing collected during his travels.

There’s even one of Michael’s Lamborghinis believed to be the first Aventador delivered in Los Angeles displayed beside a massive jacket he picked up in Moscow. Looking around, you can actually see how one simple idea slowly turned into one of Michael Jackson’s most recognizable trademarks. >> Michael told me he loved these socks, but Sher gave gave the these socks to Michael for him to wear, and then he loved them from then on.

Then from the socks, it went to the glove, right? So, and of course, this is his dance move, which he came up with Billy jeans for. Oh, yeah. This is this is one of his lambos. Yeah. That’s a um Aventador. Yeah. Yeah. >> First event I ever touched in Los Angeles. >> Yeah. Yeah. And then this this here, he got this at in um in Moscow.

>> Where is that? >> Right here. >> Oh, >> the >> Oh, right here. >> No, no, no. >> It’s the big one right there. >> Oh, right. Yeah. It’s super heavy. Oh, this is heavy. >> Wow. >> This Anyway, this this thing it it’s from uh the Kremlin. He got this when he first went there when it was the USSR. Another part of the vault is dedicated to Michael’s custom-made jackets, and it quickly becomes clear these weren’t ordinary stage outfits.

Rack after rack is filled with pieces most fans only saw once before they were carefully preserved. One red jacket  features artwork connected to the Dangerous album and the Heal the World Foundation, showing that Michael often treated  his clothing as another canvas for his creativity. Nearby hangs an official MCM tour jacket with his name stitched inside and the words in music we trust. across the back.

Many of these pieces were custommade  and worn only once, making them incredibly rare today. One Ed Hardy hoodie was reportedly offered $500,000 by Kanye West, but the owner refused to sell it. No wonder collectors refused to let pieces like these go. >> Or here. So, look. So, this jacket first started off with some of the clothes.

>> This red jacket right here. >> Let me No, no, stop, please. >> No, let me show you this other thing. Okay, Jack. Anyways, this red jacket right here, he did the eyes for the dangerous album cover, one of the highest selling albums of all time from Michael Jackson. >> And also at the bottom it says Heal the World, which is for the Heal the World Foundation.

This is a photo of him getting off of a private jet and he’s wearing this official  tour jacket. >> It’s a collaboration official tour jacket he did with MCM. Okay, >> here’s his name on the actual jacket. >> Wow, that’s sick. >> And it says on the back in music we trust. So everything he got was custom. >> Mainly mostly the stuff he would wear is custom and he would only wear it like once. Here’s a Ed Hardy jacket.

It’s a hoodie that he wore. >> This [snorts] is pretty awesome. >> Sick. Sick. >> It has like silk on the inside. >> Like what is the worth of these? Like like for someone in the chat they wanted to help donate and do for to help the you know the whole building stuff happen. How much would something like this be worth? Like realistically.

Well, Kanye offered 500,000  for this specific jacket. >> Are you serious? >> Yeah. >> The deeper you go, the less it feels like a vault, and the more it feels like stepping inside Michael’s imagination. One of the largest displays brings together furniture and decorations inspired by completely different worlds.

Modern designs sit beside early American pieces.  While Egyptian, Roman, and art deco influences all share the same space. Everywhere you look are life-sized figures,  elaborate displays, and objects Michael simply loved collecting. But the most touching part is the collection of bronze statues of children placed throughout the exhibit.

Together, they create the same dreamlike atmosphere Michael spent his life trying to protect. Seeing it all together, you start to understand how Neverland became so unlike anywhere else. Every piece had its place. In one of the largest displays, Michael Jackson’s furniture collection reflects both the unusual and the eclectic as wax and figures inhabit various settings reflecting such styles as modern, early American, Egyptian, Roman, and art deco.

And in perhaps the most poignant display, bronze figures of children inhabit an endless fantasy world reflecting a childhood which forever eluded the 50-year-old pop star. The goal wasn’t just to put Michael Jackson’s belongings on display. It was to make visitors feel like they had stepped inside Neverland itself. Instead of arranging everything like an auction, many of the rooms were recreated almost exactly as Michael had left them.

Furniture was placed back where it belonged. Decorations stayed together, and every  section reflected a different part of his life. Visitors could walk through a recreation of his famous arcade, explore his enormous Disney collection, and even see items from the two train stations that once stood at Neverland.

For most fans, it was the closest thing to actually walking through Neverland itself. >> Their job is to put everything together with the exhibition to make it uh so it’s tastefully done and it’s more of a museum quality rather than just lining things up and putting tags on them. And we’ve really we what we’ve done is we’ve recreated many of the rooms in Neverland.

So, a lot of the items that you’ll see, the different uh you know, the beds and the tables, they’re with  items as they were uh in the house. >> A part of his childhood in one section, uh elegant uh displayed items in another, um his music career in another from my observation. >> Yeah, we’ve kind of segregated the different parts of his life as a way was at Neverland.

I mean, you had the house and the guest houses where he had the furniture. He had some of these life-siz figures that he had around uh the different rooms.  It was an arcade room. And we’ve recreated that arcade room with all the games, the video  games and pinball machines. And then he had a Disney collection, which many of the items uh the Disney collection were in the theater uh and the main house uh at Neverland.

Um then we also have there was two train stations on the property. So, we’ve  recreated and put some of those items back again back together so that uh you know, we wanted to give people and his fans as much sense of Neverland as they could have since you know, very few people got to go up there.

Among all the costumes,  furniture, and collectibles. Some of the rarest pieces are works of art created specifically for Michael. One of the highlights is an early concept painting by artist David Nordall, who worked closely with Michael to bring his vision to life. Before the famous portrait was ever displayed at Neverland, Michael personally reviewed this first version, approved it, and gave Nordall the go-ahad to finish the painting.

It’s a rare reminder that Michael wasn’t just collecting artwork, he was part of creating it. One of my favorite pieces  is actually this comes directly from David Nordall, and it’s a painting that he did of Michael Jackson that Michael had commissioned. This is what Michael had seen before David created the masterpiece  that hung at Neverland.

This was a a rendering that he did  based upon the instructions that Michael gave to him. And then Michael looked at this piece, signed off on it, approved it, and David created the the large painting  that hung at Neverland for many years. So, we have in all about four or five pieces  from David Nord Doll can sign to us.

>> Michael’s vault wasn’t just filled with music and memorabilia. Hidden among the collection was some of the most luxurious furniture money could buy. While preparing for the O2 concerts in London, Michael commissioned a series of custom-made pieces from the Italian luxury company Colomba Style. These weren’t ordinary furnishings.

They were handcrafted exclusively for him. Even today, some are valued well into six figures, including one custom couch with a retail price of nearly $300,000.  It’s one more part of the collection most fans never even knew existed. We also have a really amazing  collection of high-end furniture that comes from Columbus Steel out of Italy.

These were going to be uh furnishings that were designed specifically for Michael and that he commissioned for his home during his stent at the O2 Dome. But again, these are very high-end pieces of furniture. The large couch retails nearly $300,000. Our estimates 130 to $150,000, which the reserve on each is at the  low estimate.

Among the most personal treasures in Michael Jackson’s vault is something surprisingly simple. It’s the original drawing Michael created for his autobiography while working with JC Suarez. This isn’t a reproduction made years later. It’s the actual sketch Michael drew by hand before it appeared in the opening pages of the book.

It’s one of the few original sketches  that came straight from Michael’s imagination before millions of people ever saw it in print. Uh this is an original drawing that Michael did for his autobiography and he worked with JC Squares on his autobiography and one day Michael sketched this to be able to put in the book in the front of the book.

So this comes to us directly from JC  uh consigned to us. So it’s the original drawing that’s in all his autobiography books. So it’s really a great piece. >> Some of the vault’s most valuable pieces aren’t the ones that look brand new. They’re the ones that still show signs of Michael actually using them.

Among them is a pair of stageworn loafers that  Michael signed before giving them backstage to Planet Hollywood founder Robert Earl. Nearby sits one of only five gloves made for him during the Victory Tour by legendary designer Bill Whitten. Still showing traces  of Michael’s stage makeup inside.

It originally belonged with the matching jacket and shirt from one of his most iconic performances. These aren’t replicas. They’re the original pieces that helped create the Michael Jackson image the world remembers. Uh these are Michael Jackson’s stageworn loafers  that were given backstage to Robert Earl actually of Planet of Hollywood.

Uh and Michael Jackson signed  both of them. Um so you can see on the bottoms of the shoes, they’re heavily worn. So they’re they’re shoes that Michael Jackson actually wore on stage. Very rare. We estimate them 2 to 4,000, but anticipate that  they’ll sell, you know, upwards 20, 40, maybe $50,000. This is one of Michael  Jackson’s stage wororn uh gloves that were made uh for the Victory Tour.

And you can also see on the inside there’s a little bit of makeup, but this is one of five gloves that were made for him uh  during the victory tour. So, it’s really a great piece. It’s actually the same glove that goes with  the jacket and shirt that’s over here.

This was made by Bill Whitten and the glove goes with this outfit, but we’re selling them individually. You know, really, really iconic piece cuz it’s a photograph of Michael Jackson that many people remember. The deeper you explore the collection, the more you realize many of  its greatest treasures survived because Michael chose to give them away.

One display features the sunglasses he wore during the victory tour. Preserved alongside a handwritten letter from Cory Feldman explaining how he received them. Nearby is the jacket Michael wore when he married Debbie Row, later gifted to a young boy in Australia. There’s also the t-shirt from the beat video and another jacket Michael personally signed before giving it to  a child visiting Neverland. A pattern quickly appears.

Michael wasn’t just collecting meaningful items. He was creating memories by giving many of them away. >> These are sunglasses that Michael Jackson wore on stage  during the victory tour and they’re consigned directly to us from Cory Feldman and they come with a letter handwritten by Cory Feldman  describing the providence.

This is the jacket that Michael Jackson wore when he married Debbie Row. And it comes to us from the family of the little boy that Michael gave it to in Australia. So, it’s really a great piece. Uh it’s made by Tomkins  and Bush. Um, we also have this really really great it’s a it’s a videoorn t-shirt uh that Michael wore in the video Beat it.

Um, the jacket however is not video worn but it’s signed by Michael Jackson. And  this too is something that he gave to uh one of the children that visited Neverland. So Michael was a very generous >>  >> uh person. So many of these items like the jacket and shirt, you know, he gave away to to kids  that it meant something to him.

>> Not everything inside Michael Jackson’s vault stayed hidden on shelves. Some of its greatest treasures were the outfits that defined an entire generation of pop culture. From military jackets and custom stage costumes to hats, shoes, and sparkling accessories, every piece represents a different chapter of Michael’s career.

Well, I production. In this location, you can use signature belonging to the legend. >> Today, many of those original costumes have found their way into museum collections, giving fans a chance to see them up close. Standing in front of them, you realize they aren’t just stage clothes.

They’re pieces of music history seen by millions in concerts, television appearances, and iconic music videos. Every  crystal, stitch, and handwritten detail reminds you these outfits weren’t simply made to be worn. They became part of Michael Jackson’s legacy. Welcome to the legendary play 14 to present the collection of the king of There are four by >> platinum records from around the world.

Legendary  stage costumes, awards, gloves, and sparkling accessories all come together to tell the story of an artist whose influence reached every corner of the globe. >> The extensive collection includes Michael’s  many multiple platinum albums from all over the world, costumes from his concerts  and music videos, and his multitude of awards.

And of course, the gloves and the bling. >> One piece is a breathtaking painting, while the next is something  completely unexpected. Michael collected whatever inspired his imagination, no matter how different the style. Among the displays is even a signed portrait of Brook Shields, one of his closest friends.

Rather than building a traditional gallery, Michael created a collection that reflected his personality, interests, and the people who meant the most to him. Michael’s taste in artwork ranges from the ridiculous to the sublime,  from the beautiful to the bizarre, and everything in between. Here is a portrait of a young Brook  Shields signed by the actress herself.

One of the biggest inspirations behind Michael’s collection was Disney, and it’s impossible to miss as you move through the vault. Many of the displays feature gifts from the Disney company alongside life-sized Disney statues  and statues of Michael himself. The collection also includes elegant LRO porcelain figures, fine dinner wear, and countless household pieces that once filled Neverland.

Looking at everything together, it becomes obvious Neverland didn’t happen by accident. Michael was building the kind of world he dreamed about since he was a kid. >> Michael has a pension for all things Disney, especially Peter Pan.  Many of the items in his collection are gifts from the Disney Company. Scattered throughout the display are life-sized statues of people, various characters who inhabited the home of Neverland.

And there are quite a few statues of Michael himself.  These are just some of the pieces in Michael’s extensive collection of Yadro. There must have been many dinner parties at Neverland because Michael has lots of dishes, both casual and formal. The surprises don’t end there.

Another part of the vault reveals just how much Michael loved  science fiction and video games. Scattered throughout the displays are rare Star Wars collectibles, including a life-sized Darth Vader built entirely from Lego bricks. Beyond that sits what feels like a private arcade packed with classic machines stretching across the room.

It quickly becomes clear Michael wasn’t simply collecting valuable items. He surrounded himself with the things that made him happiest. Turning  Neverland into a place that felt more like a dream than a home. >> There are quite a few Star Wars collectibles here as well. This is a lifesized Darth Vader made out of Legos. If there were a museum for video games, this would be it.

It goes on and on and on. If you enjoyed this video, don’t forget to like,  subscribe for more content, and turn on notifications so you won’t miss the next