Investors Begin to De-Jackson Neverland

Michael Jackson's virtually abandoned ranch is being given a makeover as part of an effort to get the singer's finances back on track, the Wall Street Journal reports. The investment firm that co-owns Neverland has begun sprucing up the grounds and removing many traces of Jackson, who vowed never to return to the ranch after he was acquitted on child molestation charges in 2005.

The firm hopes to eventually sell the ranch, and believes its value could soar if Jackson's comeback is a success. The singer's amusement park rides and ornate gates have been hauled away but the company is considering leaving other quirks, like a make-believe "Indian village," intact. "You can't wipe out Neverland entirely," the project manager said. "It's part of the history of the place." (More Michael Jackson stories.)