NEVERLAND: The entrance to pop star Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch home is seen in this Dec. 17, 2004 photo, in Santa Ynez, Calif. Photo: Associated Press/Mark J. Terrill
Michael Jackson’s iconic and sprawling Neverland Ranch will be put on the market.
Colony Capital currently owns a primary stake in the California property after a deal made in 2007, when it purchased the $23 million loan Jackson owed to private investment group, Fortress Investment.
A representative for Jackson’s estate says in a statement, “We are saddened at the prospect of the sale of Neverland which, under the agreement negotiated during Michael’s lifetime, Colony has the right to sell. The estate will maintain Michael’s family home in Encino, including its iconic recording studio there… We hope and trust that any new owners of Neverland will respect the historical importance and special nature of this wonderful property.”
Jackson bought the property, which counts a train, amusement park rides, and pool among its amenities, in 1988. He stayed there until his child molestation trial in 2004.
