Michael Jackson Tops Highest-Earning Dead Celebrities List
The late singer also earned more than any living celebrity.
— -- The King of Pop is still the king of the hill in terms of earning power, even years after his 2009 death.
According to Forbes -- by leaps and bounds -- Jackson is the highest-earning dead celebrity, with a 2016 take of $825 million.
Jackson's closest competition wasn't even in the same ballpark: Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, who earned $48 million -- despite being dead since 2000.
Jackson's estate owes much of the windfall to his investment in the Beatles' music catalog -- which, the magazine points out, was once considered a poor investment at $47.5 million back in 1985, or $140 million in 2016 dollars.
In 1995, Jackson earned $115 million from Sony for half of the Fab Four's catalog that he owned in a 50/50 partnership deal. In March of 2016, Jackson's estate sold his remaining half to the company.
Highest Paid Dead Celebrities of 2016, according to Forbes:
- 1. Michael Jackson (d. 2009) -- $825 million
- 2. Charles Schulz (d. 2000) -- $48 million
- 3. Arnold Palmer (d. 2016) -- $40 million
- 4. Elvis Presley (d. 1977) -- $27 million
- 5. Prince (d. 2016) -- $25 million
- 6. Bob Marley (d. 1981) -- $21 million
- 7. Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel (d. 1991) -- $20 million
- 8. John Lennon (d. 1980) -- $12 million
- 9. Albert Einstein (d. 1955) -- $11.5 million
- 10. Bettie Page (d. 2008) -- $11 million
- 11. David Bowie (d. 2016) -- $10.5 million
- 12. Steve McQueen (d. 1980) -- $9 million
- 13. Elizabeth Taylor (d. 2011) -- $8 million
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