Vanessa Hamilton

OFF THE WALL ERA FACT! - Triumph Album

1980 quickly became a busy year for Michael and he went back into the studio, this time with his brothers, The Jacksons, to record the album Triumph. Michael contributed to six of the album’s nine tracks. The album was released in September 1980 and it reached number one on the US R & B chart. “Lovely One” was the first single off the album. Also released before the end of 1980 was “Heartbreak Hotel”, completely written and arranged by Michael. The song’s title was changed to “This Place Hotel” to avoid confusion between the song and Elvis Presley’s hit song. The song reached number 2 on the US R&B chart. (Source: http://bit.ly/1XeumuV)

So, I Googled “Most charitable celebrities” in the hope of finding Michael Jackson amongst the lists, if not at the top, but to my surprise, he was not mentioned on any of the lists I found. I’m hurt for Michael and also disgusted that his name is not even mentioned once.

You won’t believe how much money Michael Jackson gave to charity

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Jackson gave generously to the United Negro College Fund; the AIDS project in Los Angeles; various programs for Africa, Thailand, India, Poland and Romania; the Make a Wish Foundation and many, many more known and unknown charities.

Jackson was only 12 years old and singing with the Jackson 5 in 1970 when he performed at his first benefit concert. It would be the first of many. In 1981, the Jackson 5 organized and held a concert for the Atlanta Children’s Foundation. Later, Jackson co-wrote the hit song, “We are the World,” raising almost $70 million to help combat famine in Africa, and after the terrorist attack of September 11, he helped raise $15 million with a self-organized benefit concert.

Apart from concerts, Jackson also donated his personal time and money. After his notorious hair-on-fire incident while filming a commercial for Pepsi, he donated millions of dollars, including his entire salary from the Pepsi endorsement, to the Michael Jackson Burn Center for Children.

He held an art auction to raise over $2 million to provide assistance to needy families in South Africa. The British Children’s Charity and the Heal the World Foundation also received generous amounts. Elizabeth Taylor’s AIDS Foundation received $500,000, and “Families Caring for Families” was blessed with $5.5 million.

He supported the 1995 Million Man March, gave to needy children in Romania and Bangkok, and assisted the “Motown Museum Historic Foundation.” Children in Bombay received millions of dollars and children in Poland received almost a million dollars worth of toys.

These numbers are the type that boggle the mind. Most of us don’t write checks with five numbers before the decimal, let alone six and seven of them. In all, Celebrity Net Worth estimates that in addition to large amounts of time and effort to support charities and causes, Michael Jackson gave in excess of $100 million over the course of his life to try to make the world a better place.

(From: ‘Financial JuneTeenth’)

Michael Jackson Charity Work, Events and Causes

Michael Jackson has supported the following charities listed on this site:

AIDS Project Los Angeles

American Cancer Society

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Childhelp USA

Children’s Defense Fund

Cure4Lupus

Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation

End Hunger Network

Great Ormond Street Hospital

Jane Goodall Institute

JDRF

Make-A-Wish Foundation

Prince’s Trust

Ronald McDonald House Charities

Starlight Children’s Foundation

TJ Martell Foundation

United Negro College Fund