Victory Tour (The Jacksons Tour) - Aftermath

Aftermath

Michael's announcement generated some great backlash from his brothers. Don King was blunt:

There's no way Michael should be as big as he is and treat his family the way he does. He feels his father done him wrong? His father may have done some wrong, but he also had to do a whole lot right ... What Michael's got to realize is that he's a nigger ... He's one of the megastars of the world, but he's still going to be a nigger megastar. He must accept that. Not only must he understand that, he's got to accept it and demonstrate that he wants to be a nigger. Why? To show that a nigger can do it.

Michael was rightfully so upset when he learned of King's remarks that he called his lawyer John Branca and said "Sue his ass. That guy has been pushing my last nerve since Day One." Branca calmed him down and persuaded him to drop the idea.

Financially, the Jacksons themselves ended up making very good money based on excellent ticket sales and the financial deal they struck with Sullivan. The Jacksons netted approximately $36 million, which worked out to about $7 million for each brother, most of which they spent on expensive lifestyles. Michael, who alone did not need the money, donated his share to charity as he had promised. He had also received an $18 million advance from Sullivan for a Michael Jackson designer jeans brand, few of which were ever produced and sold before Sullivan had to stop production.

Estimates of SMC's losses have ranged from $13 million to $22 million ($29.1 million to $49.2 million in modern dollars) Sullivan and his father quietly put the word out around the NFL that the Patriots and their stadium were for sale. Their $100 million asking price for the combined package made more sense when the Patriots qualified for Super Bowl XX after the next season, the first time they had ever done so.

An early deal for the team collapsed, and the Patriots limped on. At one point they were so close to bankruptcy that the NFL had to advance them $4 million to make their payroll. Sullivan's woes increased when his wife filed for divorce, and he had to set up a luxury box at the stadium as his personal living quarters. He allegedly wrote several letters to Michael Jackson, begging the star for money to bail the team out. Jackson never replied.

The Patriots were sold to Victor Kiam in 1988. He was unable to keep himself or the team financially stable either, and eventually they were sold again in the mid-1990s to Robert Kraft, their current owner, under whose management they have won several Super Bowls. Kraft has a Victory Tour poster in his office as a reminder of how he was able to realize his lifelong dream of owning the Patriots.