He paid the price for being an early adopter. His first surgeries were in the early 80s IIRC.

Technology has advanced a lot since then. Just watch any sort of celebrity reporting on TV and try to make out who's modded and who isn't. As a matter of fact pretty much all A- and B-celebs are. But on many you can't tell or just barely.

With a nod to HN one might say that MJ was in perpetual beta in that regard...