joint purchase by splitting the cost at
£10 million each, but Ono thought
they could buy it for £5 million
each. When they were unable to make
a joint purchase, McCartney, who did
not want to be the sole owner of the
Beatles' songs, did not pursue an offer
on his own. According to a negotiator
for Holmes à Court in the 1984 sale,
"We had given Paul McCartney first
right of refusal but Paul didn't want it
at that time."
Jackson was first informed about the
sale by his attorney, John Branca, in
September 1984. An attorney for
McCartney also assured Branca that
McCartney was not interested in
bidding. McCartney reportedly said
"It's too pricey", but several other
companies and investors were
interested in bidding. Jackson
submitted a bid of $46 million on
November 20, 1984. His agents
thought they had a deal several times,
but encountered new bidders or new
areas of debate. In May 1985,
Jackson's team walked away from
talks after having spent more than $1
million and four months of due
diligencework on the negotiations. In
June 1985, Jackson and Branca
learned that Charles Koppelman's
and Marty Bandier's The
Entertainment Company had made a
tentative agreement with Holmes à
Court to buy ATV Music for $50
million; however, in early August,
Holmes à Court's team contacted
Jackson and talks resumed. Jackson
raised his bid to $47.5 million, which
was accepted because he could close
the deal more quickly, having already
completed due diligence of ATV
Music. Jackson also agreed to visit
Holmes à Court in Australia, where he
would appear on the Channel Seven
Perth Telethon. Jackson's purchase of
ATV Music was finalized on August
10, 1985.
1986–90: Appearance,
tabloids, Bad, films, autobiography,
and Neverland
See also: Michael Jackson's health
and appearance
Jackson's skin had been a mediumbrown color for the duration of his
youth, but starting in the mid-1980s it
gradually grew paler. The change
gained widespread media coverage,
including rumors that he might be
bleaching his skin. According to J.
Randy Taraborrelli's biography, in
1986 Jackson was diagnosed
with vitiligo, which Taraborrelli noted
may be a consequence of skin
bleaching. He claimed Jackson was
diagnosed with lupus. The vitiligo
partially lightened his skin, and the
lupus was in remission. Both illnesses
made his skin sensitive to sunlight.
The treatments Jackson used for his
condition further lightened his skin
tone, and with the application of
pancake makeup to even out blotches
he could appear very pale. Jackson
was also diagnosed with vitiligo in his
autopsy though not lupus.