The fact that celebrities are amongst the highest paid individuals in the world is no secret. But what you may not know is that some of them keep making money even after they have passed on to greener pastures.
We would like to present you with a list we have compiled of the top 10 best paid dead celebrities. The ten celebrities in our countdown were ranked according to figures released by Forbes Magazine, in its yearly list of top earning celebrities. The countdown takes into account earnings generated in a 12-month span, between October 2012 and October 2013.
Pop singer Michael Jackson managed to reclaim his number one spot as the best paid dead celebrity, after being surpassed by Elizabeth Taylor in 2012 (who dropped to the 4th spot in this year’s list). Actually, Michael Jackson is the highest-earning celebrity, either dead or alive. A pretty impressive feat for the former King of Pop, who earned a total of $160 million in the last 12 months. The highest paid living celebrity, Madonna, only managed to earn $125 million in the past year. Most of Jackson’s money is now being generated by his ownership over half of Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE)’s ATV catalog and two Cirque de Soleil shows. One of the shows even features a hologram performance of Michael Jackson’s world renowned Man in the Mirror.
Another singing legend, Elvis Presley, made it on our countdown, ranking second in terms of earnings, with a whopping $55 million. This might be less than a third of Michael’s earnings, but considering that Presley died back in 1977, it is quite impressive that more than 3 decades after he is still making big money.
Cartoonist Charles M. Schulz wraps up our top three, with reported earnings for the year 2013 of $37 million. The creator of beloved character Snoopy, died back in 2000 due to colon cancer, but he’s still brining in the money thanks to royalty rights.
Wondering who else has made it on our list? Let’s take a look at the countdown.
No. 10: Theodor Seuss Geisel
Earnings: $9 million
Claim to fame: Author
Died: September 24, 1991
No. 9: Bettie Page
Earnings: $10 million
Claim to fame: Model
Died: December 11, 2008
No. 8: Albert Einstein
Earnings: $10 million
Claim to fame: Scientist
Died: April 18, 1955
No. 7: John Lennon
Earnings: $12 million
Claim to fame: Singer (The Beatles)
Died: December 8, 1980
No. 6: Marilyn Monroe
Earnings: $15 million
Claim to fame: Actress
Died: August 5, 1962
No. 5: Bob Marley
Public Domain Image: Public Domain
Earnings: $18 million
Claim to fame: Singer
Died: May 11, 1981
No. 4: Elizabeth Taylor
Earnings: $25 million
Claim to fame: Actress
Died: March 23, 2011
No. 3: Charles M. Schulz
Earnings: $37 million
Claim to fame: Cartoonist
Died: February 12, 2000
No. 2: Elvis Presley
Earnings: $55 million
Claim to fame: Singer & actor
Died: August 16, 1977
No. 1: Michael Jackson
Earnings: $160 million
Claim to fame: Singer
Died: June 25, 2009
