Biggest Earning Dead Celebrity

**jobeterob** · 10-27-2010, 01:26 PM

Michael Jackson is biggest earning dead celeb

The King of Pop, who died in June 2009 at the age of 50, raked in $275 million USD in the last 12 months.

Michael Jackson is the world's biggest earning dead celebrity.

The King of Pop, who died in June 2009 at the age of 50, raked in $275 million USD in the last 12 months.

His estate eclipsed that of other late stars, thanks to music royalties and marketing deals, including Elvis Presley, who was number two on a new list published by Forbes magazine.

Presley's estate earned $60 million USD between October 2009 and October 2010.

In third place was The Hobbit author, J.R.R Tolkien, whose books earned his estate $50 million USD.

Also making the list were John Lennon, at $17 million USD, and actor Steve McQueen, at $6 million USD.

"The death of Michael Jackson really put a focus on - crassly, quite frankly - what someone's worth when they're deceased," said David Reeder, vice president of Corbis' GreenLight, which manages the personality rights for Albert Einstein and Steve McQueen, among others.

"In a more positive way, it exposed consumers to this idea that there actually is a market for, and an enduring legacy for, these people."

Forbes reports: "Jackson not only took the number one spot on our 10th annual ranking of the Top-Earning Dead Celebrities, with gross earnings of $275 million, he out-earned the other 12 deceased stars on the list combined.

“Still more impressive - his estate's 12-month haul was greater than the pooled earnings of this year's two biggest living acts, U2 and AC/DC."

topdiva1 · 10-27-2010, 04:52 PM

As expected - I wonder what Jermaine thinks - surely he will be all made up on Larry King next week - LOL

**Motown_M_1056** · 10-27-2010, 05:35 PM

Originally Posted by jobeterob

Michael Jackson is biggest earning dead celeb

The King of Pop, who died in June 2009 at the age of 50, raked in $275 million USD in the last 12 months.

Michael Jackson is the world's biggest earning dead celebrity.

The King of Pop, who died in June 2009 at the age of 50, raked in $275 million USD in the last 12 months.

His estate eclipsed that of other late stars, thanks to music royalties and marketing deals, including Elvis Presley, who was number two on a new list published by Forbes magazine.

Presley's estate earned $60 million USD between October 2009 and October 2010.

In third place was The Hobbit author, J.R.R Tolkien, whose books earned his estate $50 million USD.

Also making the list were John Lennon, at $17 million USD, and actor Steve McQueen, at $6 million USD.

"The death of Michael Jackson really put a focus on - crassly, quite frankly - what someone's worth when they're deceased," said David Reeder, vice president of Corbis' GreenLight, which manages the personality rights for Albert Einstein and Steve McQueen, among others.

"In a more positive way, it exposed consumers to this idea that there actually is a market for, and an enduring legacy for, these people."

Forbes reports: "Jackson not only took the number one spot on our 10th annual ranking of the Top-Earning Dead Celebrities, with gross earnings of $275 million, he out-earned the other 12 deceased stars on the list combined.

“Still more impressive - his estate's 12-month haul was greater than the pooled earnings of this year's two biggest living acts, U2 and AC/DC."

No big surprise here. MJ's estate made money and he's not around to spend it, so it's all good. The estate will have money to settle his debts and lawsuits and still have enough left for his heirs.