Source: Frank Micelotta Archive / Getty
This morning, Forbes released its Top Earning Dead Celebrities of 2019 list and it turns out Michael Jackson brought in the most money. Late icons Nipsey Hussle, Bob Marley, Prince, and more made the list, but Jackson’s earnings of $60 million between October 2018 and October 2019 solidified his spot at no. 1.
“The King of Pop’s streaming surged despite recent controversy: 2.1 billion U.S. spins, up from 1.8 billion a year ago. With proceeds flowing from his Mijac Music catalog, a Las Vegas show and a long-term deal with Sony, he retains his postmortem cash crown for the seventh consecutive year,” Forbes says of the superstar and accused pedophile. Ever the discerning businessman we remember him to be, Hussle came in 10th with $11 million. Forbes writes, “Nipsey’s prescient focus on retaining the rights to his music monetized his 1.85 billion streams, third-most of any act on our list, at a greater rate than most artists dead or alive.”
Here’s the full list:
1. Michael Jackson – $60 million
2. Elvis Presley – $39 million
3. Charles Schulz – $38 million
4. Arnold Palmer – $30 million
5. Bob Marley – $20 million
6. Dr. Seuss – $19 million
7. John Lennon – $14 million
8. Marilyn Monroe – $13 million
9. Prince – $12 million
10. Nipsey Hussle – $11 million
11. XXXTentacion – $10 million
12. Whitney Houston – $9.5 million
13. George Harrison – $9 million
Click here for a full breakdown and Forbes’ methodology.
