Forbes Shares List of Top-Earning Dead Celebrities of 2019s

Late King of Pop Michael Jackson has been crowned number one spot at the Forbes list of Top-Earning Dead Celebrities of 2019. The “Thriller” star, who died in 2009, stays on the top of the list with $60 million earnings.

He is still the titleholder for the highest-earning dead celebrity for the seventh year in a row, far ahead of other celebrities.

Overall, the total earnings for the 13 dead celebrities drop significantly from last year. The sale of Michael Jackson’s EMI publishing stake alone made up almost half of the total earnings, $628 million, last year.

Reportedly, with the “Thriller” singer’s earnings dropping from $400 million to $60 million, the 13 dead celebrities collected a total of $285 million this year.

The rest in the Top 10 includes, Elvis Presley who is regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century is still at the second spot. Elvis is often referred to as the “King of Rock and Roll” or simply “the King”

“Snoopy” creator Charles Schulz and golf legend Arnold Palmer have taken No. 3 and No. 4 spots respectively, followed by Bob Marley who is still in fifth place.

Rapper Nipsey Hussle, who was shot dead on March 31, has made it to the list at No. 10 spot with $11 million earnings, from October 2018 to October 2019.

The publication further states that the “The Life” hitmaker made most of the earnings from the rights to his music as his songs were streamed 1.85 billion times, the third-most of any act on the list. He also ran a clothing company, Marathon Clothing, during his life, though it’s unknown how much the money made from his clothing business made up his earning in the last 12 months.

Another rapper, XXXTENTACION who died of a fatal shot in a robbery in June 2018, trails close behind Nipsey at No. 11 with $10 million. He holds the same spot as last year when he made his debut on the list just months after his death.

John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe, and Prince round out the Top 10 at No. 7, 8 and 9 respectively, with Whitney Houston and George Harrison placing twelfth and thirteenth, respectively.

Here is the list of Top-Earning Dead Celebrities of 2019:

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