In the original timeline, Michael Jackson's death was shrouded in mystery.
The official cause of death stated he suffered a heart attack caused by an overdose of medication administered by his private doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray. It was ruled a tragic medical accident.
Dr. Murray testified that the night before Michael's "Final Concert," his first in eight years, Michael was so excited he couldn't sleep. At 1:30 AM, he requested 10 milligrams of diazepam. When that failed, Murray injected lorazepam. Over the next few hours, Murray administered increasing doses of sedatives, attempting to help him sleep. By 7:30 AM, despite all this, Michael was still awake. Desperate, Murray administered 25 milligrams of propofol, a powerful anesthetic known to cause respiratory suppression.
Murray claimed he left Michael unattended for two minutes to use the restroom, and upon his return, found him not breathing. Suspiciously, Murray filmed himself performing CPR, despite basic knowledge dictating CPR should be done on a hard, flat surface—not on a soft bed with the patient partially propped up on pillows. His excuse? "I was too nervous."
But could a "nervous" doctor take time to film his actions?
Though Dr. Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, his punishment was strikingly lenient. Sentenced to four years, he served only two for good behavior. After his release, he relocated to Australia, bought prime farmland, and led a comfortable life—far from the shadow of Michael's death.
But that was the original timeline.
In this life, Martin was determined to prevent his close friend from meeting such a tragic end, especially given the immense value of Michael's half-ownership of the SONY/ATV music library. This library, a "cash cow," generated massive royalties, which Martin knew would skyrocket further with the rise of digital music and smartphones.
Still, Martin couldn't help but ask, "Michael, isn't your annual $70 million revenue from the library enough to cover your loan payments?"
Michael sighed deeply. "No, Martin. When we signed the merger deal, there was a clause requiring 50% of the annual revenue to go toward acquiring new copyrights. I didn't think much of it back then, but it was a trap from the start."
His voice grew agitated. "But I won't yield to those vultures. Never!"
Martin sighed inwardly. Perhaps it was this unyielding spirit that ultimately led to Michael's downfall in the original timeline.
"Martin, how much cash do you have on hand?" Michael asked suddenly.
"How much do you need?" Martin countered.
"The more, the better. I'm in this fight for the long haul," Michael replied resolutely.
Martin decided he would help. After all, if he didn't, Michael would turn to banks or other friends, as he did in the original timeline. Despite overwhelming odds, Michael had managed to sustain himself through sheer grit, relying on loans, selling assets, and friends' help while resisting SONY's pressure.
"I can lend you $150 million," Martin said after calculating his cash flow. Movie royalties and merchandise revenue from blockbusters like The Matrix and Harry Potter ensured steady income. He could even leverage the newly acquired Settan Oilfield as collateral for a loan.
Michael's voice grew excited. "$150 million? That's incredible! This will keep me going for at least two more years."
Not likely, Martin thought.
In the original timeline, Michael managed to secure $150 million, only for SONY to retaliate by increasing investments in the library. Michael was forced to use most of his funds to prevent his share from being diluted.
Against a corporate giant like SONY-Columbia, Michael's fight was anything but fair.
[TL/N: Dont ask me why the Chapter is short.]