As far as rumored biological parents of Michael Jackson's children go, Dr. Arnold Klein would probably receive the best odds from Vegas handicappers.
We've got Klein at 3:1, with Mark Lester a dark horse at 7:2 on Paris Jackson, Pia Bhatti 15:1 on Blanket and Macaulay Culkin a total long shot at 250:1.
Not that Klein plans on proving or disproving theories wrought by Us Weekly, and later his own non-statements, that he's Paris and Prince's real father.
Mark Vincent Kaplan, an attorney for Klein, MJ's dermatologist and close pal, says Klein is not opposed to taking a paternity test to see if he's the dad.
He's not in a hurry to, though, unless asked by the kids themselves.
"The court certainly would not order a DNA test after the death of the conclusively presumed biological parent," Kaplan said, with an additional footnote.
"I think that if, at some point, when the minor children reach their majority, that will be a decision I assume they would make, they alone would make."
Father or not, Dr. Arnold Klein wants to stay close to Michael's children.
"Whether he is or he isn't, it's not going to make him love these children any less than if somebody else were the source," Kaplan said. "In the past there was a close, loving relationship. I think they referred to him as Uncle Arnold."
Despite recent objections in court, Dr. Arnold Klein isn't seeking to oust Katherine Jackson as the children's guardian now or at any time in the future.
"He would like to, as he promised his friend, do what he can to see that the children are making the best decisions," Kaplan said. "He would like input in respect to educational decisions for them, something particularly important to Michael."
Also of importance to Michael Jackson for Paris, Prince and Blanket?
"Michael had asked Dr. Arnold Klein that if something were to happen to him while his children were still minors that Dr. Klein, as a friend, would do what he could do to protect the children from being in the life of an entertainer."
"He regretted he didn't have a chance to be just a normal child not in the spotlight, and wanted the children to have those normal aspects of life growing up that I think Michael didn't have the opportunity to experience."
Sounds like good advice from a concerned, thoughtful parent. You can say a lot of things about Michael Jackson, but you can't take that away from him.