In a recent episode of The Brilliant Idiots podcast, Charlamagne Tha God stirred up a bold conspiracy theory, claiming that Michael Jackson was the only celebrity whom corporations conspired to take down. Amidst ongoing discussions about the entertainment industry, fueled by various scandals, including the recent controversies surrounding Diddy, Charlamagne expressed skepticism towards most conspiracy theories involving celebrities. However, he singled out Michael Jackson as a unique case.

“I don’t think that there’s too many people that are important enough for a corporation to want to do all this to,” Charlamagne explained. “But there’s one person I truly believe they conspired to take down – Michael Jackson. I believe that because he had too much power, especially over the music industry.”

Charlamagne referred to a conversation shared on The Breakfast Club by comedian Deon Cole, who recounted a story about Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson. McCartney, a member of the legendary band The Beatles, once advised Jackson to get serious about the business side of his music career. Jackson followed that advice, ultimately purchasing The Beatles’ music catalog, which held immense value.

Jackson’s acquisition of The Beatles’ catalog was so significant that it led to a joint venture with Sony in 1995, forming Sony/ATV, the largest music publishing company in the world. As part of the deal, Jackson held a 50% stake in the company, a remarkable achievement for any artist, let alone a Black entertainer in an industry often dominated by corporate powerhouses.

“Imagine how powerful a Black man is when he owns a majority of the music industry’s publishing,” Charlamagne emphasized. “Michael even gave publishing rights back to artists, like he did with Little Richard. That kind of power, especially for a Black man, was something they couldn’t allow to stand.”

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In Charlamagne’s view, Michael Jackson’s control over such a valuable asset, combined with his influence within the industry, made him a target. He suggested that Jackson’s reputation was smeared as part of a larger effort to diminish his power. Jackson faced a series of personal scandals, which Charlamagne believes were orchestrated to destroy his legacy and ultimately led to his untimely death.

Charlamagne noted that in 2016, Sony paid $750 million to acquire Jackson’s 50% stake in Sony/ATV, giving the company full ownership of the world’s largest music publishing firm. He speculated that had Jackson lived, Sony might have had to pay significantly more for that stake.

“He’s the one person in the entertainment industry I believe they actually took down,” Charlamagne concluded. “They killed his reputation and ultimately, in my opinion, they killed him.”

Charlamagne’s theory highlights ongoing discussions about the complex dynamics of power in the entertainment industry. While many dismiss such ideas as mere speculation, Charlamagne firmly believes that Michael Jackson’s influence was too much for the industry to tolerate, leading to a concerted effort to strip him of his control and ultimately his life.