Bahraini Prince Takes on King of Pop

But while the prince had hopes of going into business with Michael's older brother, the four songs he recorded with Jermaine Jackson were never released, he testified. He said that Jermaine Jackson also began to get sidetracked with other business interests.

During testimony on his relationship with Michael Jackson, the prince said that he and Jackson began by speaking on the phone. When the prince became interested in bringing Michael Jackson to his record label, 2 Seas Records, Jackson made his terms clear.

Recounting the conversation, the prince said, "If any brother or [Jackson] family member worked there [the record label], I'm not going to do the deal," referring to Jackson's comments.

Jackson and bin Hamad Al Khalifa had what was described in court today as "very involved" conversations about a potential musical collaboration, which doesn't amount to a binding agreement, Jackson's lawyers are arguing. These conversations took place while Jackson was facing trial on child molestation charges in 2005.

The prince constructed a recording studio after Jackson had "expressed interest in coming back into music," bin Hamad Al Khalifa said.

Bin Hamad Al Khalifa also provided $1 million to the King of Pop through Jackson's personal assistant, Grace Rwaramba, which Jackson understood to be a gift, according to testimony. But the prince thought otherwise.

"To me it was never seen as a gift," bin Hamad Al Khalifa told the High Court. "These payments were seen as helping Michael, and numerous times he told me he would pay me back."