14 DAY TRIAL // On June 25, 2009, singer Michael Jackson died after being administered a lethal dose of the anesthetic Propofol. As his personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray is standing trial for involuntary manslaughter, Michael’s longtime friend and occasional financial advisor Leonard Rowe is preparing to come out with a book arguing that there were many people who stood to profit more if Michael was dead than alive.
Speaking with Radar Online, Rowe says that the reason Michael is dead is because there was no other way certain people could get their hand on his very valuable music catalogue, which is now estimated to be worth around $1 billion. Michael himself had told him that he would never sell the catalogue no matter how strapped for cash he may be, so this could have precipitated things down the well-known course. Moreover, Michael knew he would eventually die for the catalogue.
“‘They want my catalogue Rowe – and they will kill me for it.’ Michael always felt he would be killed for his catalogue. When he was speaking about it, I paid him no attention but as the latest events have unfolded, I couldn’t help but think about his statement – and it still haunts me today,” Rowe tells Radar. “Michael’s catalogue was very valuable... and people wanted that catalogue. It is one thing that Michael told me, personally, that he would never sell it. Michael said he wanted to keep it for his children, no matter what type of financial situation he across, he would always hold onto his catalogue. People wanted that catalogue, but he would not relinquish it, at all,” he adds.
Yet Rowe is not naming any names or pointing fingers when it comes to the identity of those who killed the King of Pop. According to him, Michael’s death was due to a series of factors, including his addiction, stress and having been forced to sign an agreement to do no less than 50 shows, which he clearly was in no condition to make it happen. Alive, Michael was worth only the money he’d make off ticket sales for his London O2 shows. Dead, he was worth over $1 billion, Rowe argues – so he was killed.
“AEG had a contract with Michael that was nothing less than a cocked financial gun pointed to his head. It is my belief that he was being totally exploited. I think they knew Michael’s condition, they knew Michael had an addiction, they knew his financial situation was deplorable and they used that against him; they trapped him... they must have known what they were doing. The powers that be have been trying to keep me quiet by committing slander against me... I must confess, I am not one to be intimidated easily or one who will back down quickly. Michael can’t speak now, but I can – and I will. I believe the powers that be knew that Michael and The Michael Jackson name was worth billions and billions of dollars and he was worth more to them dead than alive,” Rowe explains.