Michael Jackson’s Iconic Neverland Estate Takes Center Stage in New Biopic—but His Final Days Were Actually Spent in $100K-a-Month Rental

Michael Jackson's iconic Neverland Ranch has become synonymous with the pop star's lavish lifestyle—and the property features prominently in a divisive new biopic about the chart-topping singer.

Yet Jackson would not spend his final days living at his beloved home, but rather residing in a $100,000-a-month rented mansion in Los Angeles, where he passed away in 2009.

According to the New York Post, Jackson moved into the 17,171-square-foot dwelling with his three children, Prince, Paris, and Bigi, in December 2008, when he leased it from its owners, clothing manufacturer Hubert Guez and his wife, Roxanne.

The property was home to the "Thriller" legend for just six months before he died on June 25, 2009, having suffered from cardiac arrest caused by "acute Propofol intoxication." Jackson's doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, had administered the lethal dose of Propofol to him at the dwelling—and was later found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

Less than a year later, Jackson's former rental home was put on the market for $23.5 million and was simultaneously offered up as a rental property for the same price the singer had paid.

Records show that it last changed hands in November 2012, when it was sold for $18.1 million.

The property, which was built in 2002 and designed by Richard Landry, is situated on a 1.26-acre lot and boasts a seven-car garage.

When it was being leased by Jackson, the luxe abode also boasted 13 bathrooms, 12 fireplaces, a private theater room, wine cellar, spa, gym, an elevator, and a guesthouse.

The iconic singer resided in the property while he was rehearsing for his "This Is It" tour, which he was due to embark upon in July 2009.

Images of the bedroom in which Jackson died were shown during the trial of Dr. Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in November 2011 for administering propofol to Jackson to help him with his insomnia. Murray was sentenced to four years behind bars.

During the trial, the bedroom was described as Jackson's "medication room."

Before the Guez family snapped it up, the lavish dwelling was owned by famous then-couple Yolanda and Mohammed Hadid.

Three years after Jackson died, Guez and his wife sold the property to Steven Mayer, a managing director at Cerberus Capital Management.

Following Jackson's death, his items from the home were auctioned off with Julien’s Auctions, including the queen-sized bed where the singer passed away.

Other items auctioned off were antique furnishings, sculptures, and paintings.

A chalkboard from the kitchen was sold with a note from one of his children that read, "I (heart) Daddy. SMILE, it's for free."

It's understood that Jackson made the decision to rent the property in a bid to escape the dark cloud of scandal that surrounded his infamous Neverland estate when he was accused of child molestation in 2003. While a jury ultimately cleared the singer of all charges in 2005, the experience is said to have left Jackson with very complex feelings about the home where the nightmare was said to have unfolded.

Built in 1982, Jackson purchased his primary estate, which was designed by Robert Altevers, in 1987 for $19.5 million and he lived there for over 15 years, steadily transforming the estate into a kind of theme park.

Under Jackson’s ownership, the compound once held as many as 22 structures, including a zoo with exotic animals, amusement park rides, and landscaping that spelled out the word "Neverland."

The enormous spread is anchored by a 12,598-square-foot, Normandy-style main house with six bedrooms, seven full bathrooms, and two half bathrooms. The first-floor primary suite features a private loft and two bathrooms.

The location is just 5 miles north of the town of Los Olivos, about 50 miles from Santa Barbara. The grounds include a 4-acre lake with a waterfall, mountain views, a barbecue area, pool, poolhouse, tennis court, and basketball court.

Multiple buildings stand on the property, including three separate guesthouses, a 5,500-square-foot movie theater with a stage, several barns, animal shelter facilities, corrals, and a maintenance shop.

However, after being charged with and acquitted of child molestation, Jackson left the property in 2005 and didn't look back.

In 2007, rumors of foreclosure against the estate began circulating, but Jackson's team remained adamant that it was just a refinancing incident.

However, one year later, the Financial Title Company told Jackson that unless he handed over $24,525,906.61, the home and all of his things inside would go to auction.

In March 2008, Jackson's attorney, L. Londell McMillan, revealed that they had made a deal with the investment group and the auction would not take place. The details of the deal were never revealed.

Two months later, Colony Capital bought the defaulted loan for $22.5 million.

One month before moving into the home where he would later die, Jackson transferred the title of the home to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company, LLC.

He sold off a portion of his property rights for $35 million.

In 2020, Neverland Ranch was purchased by billionaire real estate investor Ron Burkle for $22 million—it was previously listed for the much higher price of $100 million in May 2015.

After Burkle purchased Neverland, eagle-eyed onlookers noticed that construction had quickly started in and around the property, leading some to suggest that the billionaire was transforming the property into a new Soho House venue.

However, he insisted to The Wall Street Journal that this was not the case, telling the outlet that he was simply hoping to return the dwelling to its former glory.

"It was kind of a depressing place. It wasn’t the beautiful place that it was before. It just needed flowers and life in it again," he said.

As for the estate's most infamous former owner and the unsavory accusations that had previously been made against him, Burkle, who served as a financial adviser to Jackson before his death, said that the rumors and speculation did not factor into his decision to buy the home.

"Michael Jackson hasn’t lived there in over 15 years," he pointed out.

Jackson's life story has been thrust back into the headlines following the release of the biopic, "Michael," which hit theaters on April 24.