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Last night, I caught my mom watching a series of interviews conducted by CNN’s Don Lemon. The topic was Joe Jackson’s suit against AEG Live, the brains behind Michael Jackson’s final concert. According to the complaints, AEG was responsible for Dr. Murray’s hiring and that Dr. Murray was tasked to keep MJ drugged. Joe Jackson maintains that AEG Live would benefit greatly from MJ’s demise.

Don Lemon, famed for his balanced journalism, interviewed both sides of the party. The documentary was highly riveting, as it seemed to unearth every angle that might clarify MJ’s mysterious death. Unfortunately, I could not find clips of those interviews. I only found this from the CNN website:

http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed_edition&videoId=crime/2010/06/25/rowlands.jackson.murray.cnn

I have always wondered about this particular case and my thoughts would often tread on conspiracy theories. On one hand, MJ souvenirs and record sales skyrocketed in the aftermath of his death. A good visionary could’ve seen it coming: people from all ages suddenly turning into fans and all other sectors suddenly monetizing on MJ’s memory. Many fans who bought tickets to “the greatest concert that never happened” even opted to just get special souvenir tickets instead of full refunds. Besides all these, Michael Jackson’s This is It film had grossed $260+M during its theatrical run and is still making millions in DVD sales. It is now the highest grossing documentary (or even concert movie) of all time.

On the other hand, why would a smart company kill the goose that laid the golden eggs? I don’t really know if they could make more money in concert sales, then DVD sales, then This Is It theater sales, then This Is It DVD sales. (It must be noted, however, that MJ was a perfectionist. He may actually not agree with This Is It‘s release if he were still alive.) Furthermore, despite the obvious profiteering, it can’t be denied that AEG secured MJ’s already legendary status. People my age don’t appreciate The Beatles as much as my 9-year-old brother appreciates MJ. And MJ isn’t even from MY generation (my peers and I grew up with the Spice Girls).

The question that remains: Was the genius artist worth more when he was alive or — as with the fate of other tragic artists like Van Gogh — dead?

Your thoughts?