King of Pop achieves estimated earnings of $48 million according to Forbes annual listing.
Michael Jackson has topped Forbes’ list of the top earning dead celebrities in 2020 for the eighth consecutive year.
The King of Pop – who died in June 2009 – had estimated earnings of $48 million. His ‘Mijac Music’ catalogue, which includes songs by Elvis and Aretha Franklin as well as a long-term deal with Sony, account for over 70% of his earnings, Forbes reported.
It also seems that streaming services are having a significant impact on the earnings of dead celebrities.
Peanuts signed a deal with Apple+ TV which helped late creator place at number three in the listing with $32.5 million, while Netflix has also paid for an animated series featuring Elvis Presley (number five) and another biopic of Marilyn Monroe (number 13).
Sadly, there are also young newcomers to the list – 21 year old rapper Juice WRLD (number seven) earned $15 million since last year’s list, and NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash in January, is ranked at number six, having earned $20 million.
The full list is as follows:
- Michael Jackson – $48 million
- Dr. Seuss – $33 million
- Charles Schulz – $32.5 million
- Arnold Palmer – $25m
- Elvis Presley – $23 million
- Kobe Bryant – $20 million
- Juice WRLD – $15 million
- Bob Marley – $14 million
- John Lennon – $13 million
- Prince – $10 million
- Freddie Mercury – $9 million
- George Harrison – $8.5 million
- Marilyn Monroe – $8 million
Forbes’ annual list of the highest earning dead celebrities measures pre-tax income from October 1, 2019 through to October 1, 2020. It compiles the numbers with the help of data from MRC Data, IMDbPro, NPD BookScan and interviews with industry insiders. Fees for agents, managers and lawyers are not deducted.
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