In a $47 million sale, Michael Jackson purchased The Beatles' publishing rights on Aug. 14, 1985, outbidding Paul McCartney on the supergroup's 251 songs.

Prior to the purchase, Paul McCartney and John Lennon signed a publishing agreement with a company they had part ownership of called Northern Songs.

Northern Songs was later taken over by Associated TeleVision, which later chose to sell its publishing catalog.

McCartney attempted to purchase it, but the King of Pop beat him to it.

Jackson later sold his share of the catalog to Sony in 2008.

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(Photos from left: Left to right: CBS /Landov, Hulton Archive/Getty Images)