Michael Jackson could have pocketed a staggering $1.1bn (£726.9m) from his This Is It tour, it has been claimed.

The superstar pop icon was due to perform 50 shows at London's O2 Arena in 2009 and 2010 but he died less than three weeks before the first date from acute propofol intoxication.

During the singer's wrongful death trial currently taking place in the US, accountant Arthur Erk told a court that Jackson could have made over one billion dollars from the tour.

He said: "Demand was so wild that he probably could have charged more for tickets and still sold out."

Erk added that Jackson had also considered performing in Las Vegas.

The trial was launched by the singer's mother Katherine, who is suing concert promoters AEG Live for $40bn (£26bn) over their alleged part in Jackson's death.

AEG deny any wrongdoing. The wrongful death trial is expected to last until the end of July.