Buried Treasure – In Michael Jackson’s Case, Dying was NOT Cheap

The Big Cheese has decided that when he’s posted his last morsel of hollywood gossip, he wants a send-off like the King of Pop got.

The Rat’s been looking through the family’s itemized list of expenses for Michael Jackson’s private, invitation-only funeral at Forest Lawn Glendale, and he’s impressed!

Like that pair of tacky pictures of Jackson positioned on either end of the casket… $3,682.66… and it’s not even a flattering portrait.

Michael’s “burial garments?”  They cost $35,000.

Invitations and programs for the soire?  That’ll be $11,716.98, please.

Michael's brothers were apparently inexpensive to dress. The bill for "family wardrobe" was a mere $1,975.50

Then there’s the “designer for the funeral,” a duo known as Bush Tompkins.  They designed many of Michael’s looks in the last half of his life.  They apparently also designed the look of the private funeral – and they collected $15,000 for their efforts.

Throw in another $16,000 for flowers, two grand for family wardrobe needs, $30,000 for car rentals (those Rolls Royces and Maybachs aren’t cheap), and a few more thousand dollars worth of this & that, and you’re well over $100,000.

And by the time you add the cost of police department security, mortuary expenses, a gold-plated casket and Michael’s $590,000 piece of mausoleum real estate, you’re at nearly a million dollars.