8 years old

March 16th, 1998

I'm officially 8 years old this month, and it's been a whirlwind of events. The box office for Home Alone has now reached an unbelievable $989 million. The movie is still showing in theaters, and it looks like it will continue playing until just before summer. Typically, the box office earnings are distributed to all involved after three to six months. In the case of Home Alone, they've started distributing after four months, even though it's still running in theaters. The film is approaching the $1 billion mark, but it could take a few more weeks or months to hit that milestone. Everyone's been talking about how Home Alone is expected to cross the billion-dollar threshold soon, making it one of the highest-grossing films of all time. However, big-budget movies from A-list celebrities and top directors are lined up for summer, so it'll likely go off theaters by then. Still, to think that a movie I starred in might gross over a billion dollars is hard to believe.

The financial success of Home Alone is mind-blowing. I mean, almost a billion dollars? My mom, Pattie, told me that the checks have started to come in, and they're planning on distributing even more money soon. She says that once the film leaves theaters, I'll probably see another round of earnings from the international market and all the other sales, like DVD and VHS, which people are still buying like crazy. Pattie's been keeping track of it all—she's super organized when it comes to managing my money. She keeps saying that we need to be smart about it and save most of it for the future, which makes sense because I'm still so young, but it's still wild to think about how much this movie has made for everyone involved.

You might not know this, but when Pattie signed the contract for Home Alone, it was a lucrative deal for me as the lead, Kevin. While I was paid $150,000 upfront for the first film, the contract also included a substantial bonus tied to its box office performance. As Home Alone became a massive hit, grossing nearly $989 million, the deal was structured to reward me significantly. I'll receive earnings from various revenue streams, including:

1. Box Office Gross: A percentage of the earnings from the film's initial release and any re-releases.

2. Merchandising: Profits from toys and games related to the film.

3. Home Video Sales: Earnings from VHS and DVD sales.

4. International Sales: A share of profits from the film's performance in international markets.

Overall, while the specific numbers for Home Alone and my earnings aren't publicly disclosed, it's well understood that my role in the film was financially rewarding and helped me become one of the highest-paid child actors of my time.

Meanwhile, my album My World has also been a huge success. It's sold over five million copies in the U.S. alone, earning five platinum certifications. My songs dominated the charts for weeks, and though they've dropped out of the top 10, they're still hanging on in the Billboard rankings. My single stayed at number one for a good run, and though the hype has calmed down a bit, it's still getting a lot of airplay on the radio. I hear my voice everywhere I go—whether it's in stores, on TV, or in commercials. The success of my music has brought even more opportunities my way.

McDonald's reached out and signed me for a sponsorship deal that's going to be massive. They're creating a special Happy Meal that will launch this summer, and it'll have my face on the paper bags! The meal will come with a rare, limited-edition figure of me as the toy, and they've been hyping it up with commercials I've been shooting for them. Shooting those commercials was a blast. We did a few different versions where I'm singing, eating a burger, or just goofing around with a bunch of kids. It's crazy to think that kids all over the country are going to be getting Happy Meals with my toy in them.

CAA, my agency, fought hard to get the best deal possible for me, and they succeeded. McDonald's is paying a massive amount for this sponsorship—likely somewhere in the range of $10 million. The amount depends on how well the campaign does, but McDonald's is expecting it to be one of their biggest Happy Meal promotions ever. Given that my movie grossed close to $1 billion and my debut album sold 5–7 million copies, the brand saw me as a powerhouse for reaching kids and families. CAA was really aggressive in negotiating the contract, making sure that I get a fair cut of all the merchandising and media exposure this campaign will bring. By the way this deal is for only this full summer holiday.

This kind of deal is huge, and it means a lot of preparation is going into it. McDonald's has been working on everything, from designing the meal plan to producing the toys and ads. They're expecting this Happy Meal to be a big hit when it launches in the summer. My face is going to be everywhere, which is both exciting and a little nerve-wracking. Mom says we have to pace ourselves, though, and not let it all go to my head. We've already been turning down a bunch of offers from other brands because we don't want to oversaturate the market with too many endorsements. There's power in being selective.

It's funny, though—so many brands have come knocking on my door, offering sponsorship deals left and right. From clothing lines to snack companies, everyone wants a piece of that "Justin magic." But I've learned that it's not smart to take on too many sponsorships at once. If I were to appear in a ton of ads in a short period, it could weaken the impact, making it seem like I'm everywhere for the wrong reasons. CAA has been great at guiding me on which deals to take, making sure I only align myself with top brands. That way, it keeps the "superstar power" fresh and in demand. I'm grateful they're helping me make smart decisions for the long term.

Besides all the business stuff, I've been focusing on other things, too. I've gotten really good at swimming. I've been practicing daily, and my coach has noticed. He pulled me aside the other day and told me he thinks I'm ready to compete. He suggested I enter a local swimming competition to gain more experience and showcase my skills. It's exciting! I've been working hard in the pool, perfecting my strokes and improving my speed. The swimming club has offered to sponsor me for the tournament, which is a great opportunity to see how I stack up against other young swimmers in my area. They're even covering all the entry fees and providing new gear for me. It's kind of funny, though—after everything I've done in movies and music, it feels cool to have something else to focus on, like swimming.

But even with all the excitement, some days are pretty boring. Like today, I was just sitting at home, watching TV with nothing to do. The house was quiet, and I felt kind of restless. Mom wasn't home, and none of my friends were around, so I was all alone. I flipped through the channels but couldn't find anything interesting to watch, so I just sat there, staring at the screen.

Then, out of nowhere, the phone rang.

I picked it up and said, "Hello, this is Justin."

To my surprise, the person on the other end introduced themselves as Michael Jackson's manager. My heart skipped a beat. He told me that Michael Jackson had seen Home Alone and listened to my album, and he was a big fan of my work. He said that Michael wanted to invite me and my family to his house later this month. I could hardly believe it—Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, wanted to meet me! Without hesitating, I said yes.

A lot of people might think about Michael's controversial past, especially the 1994 case where people accused him of inappropriate behavior with kids. But honestly, I've learned that when you're as famous and rich as Michael, people are always going to try and take advantage of that. False claims get made all the time, especially when there's a lot of money involved. People see an opportunity to make a quick buck and go after it. Michael even talked about it in interviews, explaining how people framed him for money. I understand now that when you're at the top, people want to tear you down.

Michael's house is legendary. From what I've heard, it's like a palace, with so many rooms that it's hard to keep track of them all. It's more like a resort than a regular home. I know he lets kids stay there sometimes, but those are kids he's helped through his organization, Heal the World. The organization focuses on helping underprivileged and sick children, giving them a chance at a better life. Michael's heart has always been in the right place, and I believe the rumors about him were just attempts to tarnish his name and take advantage of his wealth.

When he said that kids slept in his home, it made headlines, but from what I've heard, it wasn't like what people imagined. His home was so big that it was more like a guest house situation, with rooms and spaces for everyone. The children that came through were often part of Heal the World, and Michael's only intention was to give them an escape from their troubles.

A/U

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End