Michael Jackson, a man who Paul McCartney once considered to be a good friend, bought Michael Jackson's best album. Outside the music studio, though, they were the best of friends, until an idea came to MJ.

As chronicled by the King of Pop was always straightforward with the Beatles alumni about his intentions. McCartney just never took those claims seriously.

All McCartney did was laugh until it was too late. McCartney had his own chance to buy The Beatles catalog, but he waited too long, and MJ beat him to the punch.

Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson Had A Running Joke About The Beatles' Catalog

Jackson Ended Up Being Serious - & McCartney Felt Betrayed

The longer that their music collaborations progressed, the longer Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson had opportunities to have personal conversations that turned into business advice. During one such candid conversation, McCartney (who by 1982 already owned a grocery list's worth of catalogs, including that of Buddy Holly's) would express to Jackson the value of investing in someone else's music. Michael Jackson's response to Paul McCartney would end up haunting the former member of the Beatles for years, especially when he thought MJ was joking.

One day, I'll own your songs.

MJ and McCartney would laugh it off, and then, it became a running joke between them for weeks on end. Then, on August 14, 1985, Michael Jackson finalized a deal to buy ATV Music Publishing for a then-unheard of $47.5 million, which gave him the rights to 4,000 songs, including those by The Beatles. As McCartney promised, investing in music was worthwhile, especially when, in 1995, he merged his 50% of ATV with Sony to build the foundation of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, instantly becoming the second-largest music publishing company of its era. Sony bought the remaining 50% after Jackson's death.

Paul McCartney Almost Bought the Beatles Catalog Before Michael Jackson

He Originally Considered Buying The Beatles Songs with Yoko Ono

The battle over The Beatles' music began long before Michael Jackson put his bid in, dating back to 1969 when John Lennon and Paul McCartney first attempted and failed to regain control of their publishing once their publishing company, Northern Songs, was sold to Sir Lew Grade of Associated Television. The bid intensified in 1984 when ATV put its songs (251 of which belonged to The Beatles) up for sale. Paul McCartney had an interest in buying it, which would've finally given him back the songs he helped create.

​​​​​​​As such, McCartney had the first option to buy those rights, but when the price tag was $40 million, McCartney felt it was too expensive of an investment. Similarly, on behalf of her late husband, the widow of John Lennon, Yoko Ono, also nearly bought the rights to The Beatles' music.

Ultimately, Yoko Ono would decline to buy for the same reason. The Beatles came into the industry not having a great music deal for themselves, and so, the power to own their music just wasn't feasible. Unfortunately for McCartney, neither was regaining those rights.

Paul McCartney Felt Betrayed By Michael Jackson

The Beatles Acquisition Was Revolutionary, But Destroyed a Friendship

Michael Jackson's acquisition of The Beatles' catalog was revolutionary for the time, as it commercialized music itself in a literal sense. In no time, the Beatles' music could be heard in actual commercials selling company products. The concept of his music suddenly becoming commercialized never sat right with McCartney. While his decision not to buy The Beatles catalog was an omission that he accepted that someone else could own them ahead of him, seeing that someone being his close friend Michael Jackson felt like a betrayal to McCartney.

The deal put a strain on his relationship with Jackson, as McCartney has expressed in a number of interviews. MJ's decision was strictly a business move and wasn't meant to slight his friend, but as a result of business, it damaged their friendship beyond repair. Sadly, they were never able to reconcile before Michael Jackson's death in 2009. Michael Jackson's friendship with Paul McCartney transitioned into a bittersweet feud over the rights to The Beatles music that, today, belongs to neither party.

Source: Billboard