On July 16, 1996, Michael Jackson performed at the 50th birthday party for the Sultan of Brunei and was reportedly paid between $15-$20 million. But that’s just the beginning.
At the time the Sultan was the richest man in the world and loved extravagance, so he had Jerudong Park Amphitheater built for the bash so that stars like Jackson and later Whitney Houston could perform for the good people of Brunei.
The 60,000 seat outdoor venue – with two private executive suites – sits in a giant park next to largest and most expensive amusement park in South East Asia.
The Sultan’s birthday came at an inconvenient time for the King of Pop in that he was just in the early stages of preparing for what would be the HIStory World Tour which wouldn’t officially start until September. But Jackson rehearsed with his band, singers, and dancers, for months before jetting to Brunei to perform.
Sharp-eyed viewers of the leaked video will notice some mistakes that were made by both Michael and the band, which is typical of a first live grand performance.
read more at: Setlist.fm