Katherine Jackson gets $86,000 a month to care for herself, Michael Jackson’s children

LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson’s mother is receiving $86,804 per month from her son’s estate to support herself and her three grandchildren, according to court records released Thursday.

Katherine Jackson is one of the primary beneficiaries of her son’s estate along with the late pop singer’s three children and unnamed charities.

Over the course of a year, Jackson’s mother and children are slated to receive more than $1 million in support from the estate. Katherine Jackson’s monthly allowance is $26,804; the children’s allowance is $60,000 per month.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff approved a monthly stipend for Katherine Jackson and her three grandchildren in August. The amount of the payments had been sealed until Thursday.

Katherine Jackson has been named the children’s permanent guardian. They are currently living at the Jackson family home in the San Fernando Valley.

Katherine Jackson’s $26,804 per month pays for an assistant, housekeeper, driver, utilities, clothing, grooming and other expenses.

The petition does not provide many details about how the money is being spent on Jackson’s children, who range in age from 7 to 12. A redacted spreadsheet included in the filings states that $315,000 per year is being spent on employees caring for the children, and another $160,000 is being set aside for entertainment and other expenses.

Attorneys for the estate argued that release of the names of staffers helping care for the children could compromise their security and privacy. Michael Jackson was extremely protective of his children, often dressing them in costumes or masks to hide their faces when they were in public.

Beckloff agreed to keep those details private, but said he did not think the total amounts could remain sealed. Katherine Jackson’s attorney had argued that records should remain private.

The judge has scheduled a progress report for Oct. 2 to hear how the children are faring since their father’s death.

Estate attorneys have said they do not know how much of the expenses being paid to Katherine Jackson may be helping other members of the family. When the stipend was approved in August, they said they may revisit how much will be paid later.