Michael Jackson is the 'king' of money making among dead stars
Michael Jackson died eight years ago, but he still earns millions of dollars. According to Forbes magazine, Jackson has topped the list of highest-earning dead celebrities for the fifth consecutive year.
Specifically, Jackson took the top spot on the list of 13 dead celebrities who earned the most money, when the performance Michael Jackson One by Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas and the compilation album of his best-selling songs, titled Scream, along with several other projects earned 75 million USD last year.
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| King of pop Michael Jackson |
Golf legend Arnold Palmer came in second on the list with $40 million in earnings. Palmer's money comes primarily from sales of AriZona lemonade, iced tea, and clothing products bearing his name.
Charles Schulz, creator of the Peanuts comic strip, came in third with $38 million, a sum he earned from a lucrative MetLife campaign and sales of his books at retail stores.
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| Elvis Presley |
Two other singers made it into the Top 5 on this year's list: "King of Rock" Elvis Presley, ranked 4th with earnings of 35 million USD, and Bob Marley, ranked 5th with earnings of 23 million USD.
Presley's money came primarily from the opening of two new developments at Graceland, the Guesthouse Hotel and the Memphis Entertainment Complex.
Reggae superstar Marley earned $23 million from his House of Marley audio equipment and his Marley beverage company, which includes a range of natural teas, coffees and carbonated drinks.
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| Bob Marley |
Three recently deceased musicians also made the Forbes list this year, including rock star Tom Petty, who died on October 3. Petty ranked sixth on the list with earnings of $20 million, which came from his spring and summer tour, which ended on September 25.
Prince, who died in April 2016 from a painkiller overdose, came in seventh on the list with earnings of $18 million. David Bowie, the British rock star who died in January 2016 from liver cancer, came in 11th with earnings of $9.5 million.
Physicist Albert Einstein ranked 10th with an income of $10 million, which was earned from his name and many products bearing his face.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Taylor ranked 12th with an income of 8 million USD. The income of this "purple-eyed" movie legend mainly comes from her perfume "empire", which includes the popular perfume lines White Diamonds and Passion.
Former Beatles legend John Lennon ranked ninth with earnings of $12 million, mainly from publishing deals, album sales and other ventures.
Finally, model Bettie Paige came in at number 13 with earnings of $7.5 million, partly from lucrative deals such as clothing, accessories and lingerie.
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| Elizabeth Taylor |
Forbes magazine compiled the list of deceased celebrities based on pre-tax income from October 15, 2016 to October 15, 2017.
| Forbes' list of the 13 highest-earning deceased people of 2017: 1. Michael Jackson, singer, died 2009: $75 million 2. Arnold Palmer, golfer, died 2016: $40 million 3. Charles Schulz, cartoonist, died 2000: $38 million 4. Elvis Presley, singer, died 1977: $35 million 5. Bob Marley, singer, died 1981: $23 million 6. Tom Petty, singer, died 2017: $20 million 7. Prince, singer, died 2016: $18 million 8. Dr. Seuss, author, died 1991: $16 million 9. John Lennon, singer, died 1980: $12 million 10. Albert Einstein, physicist, died 1955: $10 million 11. David Bowie, singer, died 2016: $9.5 million 12. Elizabeth Taylor, actress, died 2011: $8 million 13. Bettie Paige, model, died 2008: $7.5 million. |
According to TT&VH
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