On the 25th anniversary of the Forbes ranking, The Infamous B.I.G., Miles Davis and Jimmy Buffett sign up with an incredible lineup of artists as the best earners in the excellent beyond. Plus: How Michael Jackson made $3.5 billion in the afterlife.
IN 2001, Elvis Presley topped Forbes‘ very first list tracking the highest-earning star estates, and The King has actually appeared on every edition of the rankings in the 25 years because, making over $1.2 billion throughout that period. Yet it’s another member of music royalty who has actually really broken the paradigm for posthumous revenues– Elvis’ one-time son-in-law, Michael Jackson.
The King of Pop’s estate has actually made an impressive $3.5 billion because his death in 2009, according to Forbes price quotes, topping this year’s list as soon as again with $105 million in revenues over the previous 12 months. “When it concerns estate revenues,” one prominent estate attorney informs Forbes, “It’s MJ, then a huge canyon, then everyone else.”
The greatest paydays originated from loosening up properties that Jackson collected throughout his life. In addition to owning his own publishing rights and master recordings, Jackson likewise bought the ATV brochure for $47.5 million in 1985– about $142 million today– that included amongst its almost 4,000 tunes practically every hit composed together by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. That financial investment ultimately returned $750 million in 2016 (around $1 billion today) when the estate offered its stake to Sony. Not consisted of because sale was Jackson’s own publishing and master recordings, however in 2024 his estate offered a 50% stake in those properties to Sony for another $600 million– much to the discouragement of Jackson’s mom, Katherine, who stated the sale would protest Jackson’s desires and attempted to obstruct the handle court.
In all the years in between megadeals, Jackson’s brand name has actually continued to mint cash throughout various classifications– practically totally untouched by the sexual assault claims that hung over the last years of his life, or the 2019 Finding Neverland documentary detailing them. His posthumous 2009 show movie, This Is It, earned $267 million at package workplace, and an MJ-themed Cirque du Soleil trip in 2012 earned $160 million, making it the most effective show trip of that year and making Jackson more cash than any living artist. That success triggered Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson ONE, which has actually held a residency in Las Vegas because 2013, and a Broadway program, MJ: The Musical, which debuted in 2022, amounting to practically $300 million in overall ticket sales and generating a number of worldwide productions.
Since of the worldwide appeal of popular song, and the probability that star recording artists get a greater portion of recurring earnings than, state, stars from their brochure of motion pictures or television programs, artists as soon as again control this year’s list, comprising 10 of the leading 13, who made an overall of $541 million integrated before taxes and charges. Master recordings and publishing rights continue to print millions each year for icons such as Prince, John Lennon and Bob Marley.
A handful of beginners discovered their method onto the list this year by offering the rights to that recurring earnings to excited 3rd parties, a lot of whom are backed by personal equity. While the marketplace for music properties has actually cooled from its pandemic-era madness– when dealmakers reported assessments of 20-times earnings, and artists like Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen squandered for numerous countless dollars– however artists like The Infamous B.I.G., Miles Davis and 2 departed members of Pink Floyd all discovered huge paydays on the free market this previous year.
Other stars’ estates still get royalties for the top quality physical items they made popular. Arnold Palmer’s eponymous beverage, for example, offers an approximated $200 million worth of item each year, and Kobe Bryant’s tennis shoes continue to fly off the racks for Nike. For Jimmy Buffett, the Margaritaville brand name has yet to discover an item it could not connect its name to and offer to an army of Parrotheads– from clothing to hotels to a number of Buffett-inspired retirement home.
Uncommon is the star whose appeal does not lessen in the years after their death, and rarer still is one whose household still manages the rights to his/her works and name, image and similarity– not the case for previous listees, consisting of Marilyn Monroe, Albert Einstein, and Muhammad Ali.
Still, for these fortunate 13, the roadways of the afterlife stay paved with gold.
Here are 2024’s highest-earning dead stars:
# 1. $ 105 Million
Michael Jackson
June 25, 2009 ( 50) • Cause Of Death: Overdose/Homicide
As part of the offer to offer half of The King of Pop’s master recording brochure and publishing rights to Sony in 2024 for $600 million, the Jackson estate worked out to get a bigger share of around the world royalties on the staying music rights, guaranteeing he keeps among the highest-earning music brochures worldwide. While music stays Jackson’s greatest organization, MJ: The Musical had 5 productions up and running on phases worldwide in the previous year, his Cirque du Soleil program, Michael Jackson ONE, exceeded 5,000 efficiencies at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and was extended through 2030. And the long-awaited motion picture biopic Michael starring Jackson’s nephew Jaafar is set to premiere in April 2026.
# 2. $ 85 Million
Dr. Seuss
September 24, 1991 ( 87) • Cause Of Death: Cancer
The precious author, born Theodor Seuss Geisel, was the top-selling kids and young person author in the U.S. in 2015, vanquishing billionaire Harry Potter developer J.K. Rowling with 4.8 million books offered in 2024, according to Circana. And traditional Seuss characters like The Feline In The Hat and the Grinch stay licensing gold for physical items, and the estate has actually broadened its collaboration with Netflix to consist of 3 different series in the previous year. Next up is a Warner Bros. animated adjustment of The Feline In The Hat being available in 2026 and a recently found manuscript that will be released next summer season to commemorate America’s 250th birthday in July– Sing the 50 United States
# 3. $ 81 Million, # 4. $ 81 Million
Richard Wright, Syd Barrett
September 15, 2008 ( 65), July 7, 2006 ( 60)
Cause Of Death: Cancer, Cancer
All in all, the 2 late cofounders of Pink Floyd included some gold bricks to that wall in 2015. Experts inform Forbes that the famous rock band shopped its brochure and NIL rights for several years, at first looking for as much as $600 million. In October 2024, Sony Music Publishing landed the rights for $400 million, divided uniformly in between the band’s 3 making it through members and the estates of Wright, the starting keyboardist, and Barrett, the initial frontman, who is credited for developing the band’s name in 1965. Both Wright and Barrett have songwriting credits on more than a lots of the band’s tunes, which produced extra earnings.
# 5. $ 80 Million
The Infamous B.I.G.
March 9, 1997 ( 24) • Cause Of Death: Murder
Just like numerous stars who pass away young, product for the East Coast rap legend referred to as The Infamous B.I.G. (born Christopher Wallace) continues to offer well because his murder at 24, juicing the evaluation of the estate in a sale of 50% of Big deal’s brochure, publishing and NIL rights to Main Wave Music in March. The offer was concluded right before the death of his mom, Voletta Wallace, who managed a set of posthumous albums and a 2009 biopic.
# 6. $ 21 Million
Miles Davis
September 8, 1991 ( 65) • Cause Of Death: Stroke
Ahead of allure legend’s 100th birthday next year, openly traded brochure acquirer Tank Media got 90% of Davis’ estate and prepares to kick its organization into high equipment. Live centennial efficiencies have actually been revealed throughout the nation at places such as New york city’s Lincoln Center, and in Might, F1‘s Damson Idris signed on to play the renowned trumpeter in an upcoming biopic.
# 7. $ 17 Million
Elvis Presley
August 16, 1977 ( 42) • Cause Of Death: Cardiovascular Disease
Last summer season, an unusual identity theft plot threatened to offer Elvis’ Graceland estate in Memphis to the greatest bidder, however was dispatched in time for the home to stay totally owned by Presley’s estate, now managed by his granddaughter, starlet Riley Keough. The household owns simply 15% of Elvis Presley Enterprises, the business that runs the tourist operation at Graceland and the surrounding mall, in addition to the substantial Elvis licensing effort and what stays of The King’s publishing rights, while the rest of EPE is managed and handled by Genuine Brands Group, which likewise handles the estates of Muhammad Ali and Marilyn Monroe.
# 8. $ 14 Million
Jimmy Buffett
September 1, 2023 ( 76) • Cause Of Death: Skin Cancer
Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville brand name reached dining establishments, clothing, resorts, and a cruise line, enough to make Buffett billionaire status after his death in 2023. He left his household with 2 trusts, one for his kids and another for his widow, Jane. The latter, valued at $275 million, is the source of dueling probate suits in between Jane Buffett and Richard Mozenter, the estate’s co-executor, over just how much cash she will get every year from her late hubby’s empire.
# 9. $ 13 Million
Bob Marley
Might 11, 1981 ( 36) • Cause Of Death: Cancer
In June, Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas released Bob Marley Hope Roadway, which phases 29 live programs each week and is anticipated to return millions to the estate over the next couple of years together with program financier Main Wave, which purchased a part of Marley’s publishing brochure in 2018. Though most of the reggae legend’s masters are owned by Universal Music Group, Marley’s estate has actually developed a comprehensive organization out of accrediting his name, image and similarity to a myriad of items, consisting of audio devices, coffee, scents, pillows, carry bags and posters– and naturally, marijuana.
# 10. $ 12 Million
John Lennon
December 8, 1980 ( 40) • Cause Of Death: Murder
A brand-new HBO documentary set to premiere in November will concentrate on Lennon’s only full-length show after leaving The Beatles, a 1972 advantage at New york city’s Madison Square Garden carried out with Yoko Ono. If it follows the pattern of other jobs commemorating late artists, the motion picture might increase streaming numbers for Lennon’s solo music, of which Ono still owns the rights. Although the Beatles’ brochure is owned by Sony and its top quality Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil reveal closed in 2024, each member of The Fab 4 still gets almost $6 million each year in name, image and similarity revenues.
# 11. $ 11 Million
Prince
April 21, 2016 ( 57) • Cause Of Death: Overdose
In the near years because his death, Prince’s track record for increasingly keeping control over his profession and image can still be felt in the estate’s battle with Oscar-winning documentarian Ezra Edelman, who invested 5 years making a nine-hour documentary for Netflix on The Purple One that might never ever be launched. Since Prince passed away without leaving a will, member of the family and legal representatives have actually been secured endless legal fights over control of his $156 million fortune for several years, consisting of a fresh claim submitted last summer season.
# 12. $ 11 Million
Arnold Palmer
September 25, 2016 ( 87) • Cause Of Death: Cardiovacular Illness
Sales of Palmer’s signature beverage– iced tea and lemonade– in partnership with AriZona Beverages, have actually fallen somewhat in each of the previous 2 years, however continue to fill the coffers of Arnie’s Army handsomely. His household likewise owns the Bay Hill Club in Florida and Latrobe Nation Club in Pennsylvania, where he matured and initially found out to play golf.
# 13. $ 10 Million
Kobe Bryant
January 26, 2020 ( 41) • Cause Of Death: Helicopter Crash
Nike CFO Matt Pal stated on the business’s very first quarter revenues call this year that Bryant’s efficiency shoes had actually almost quadrupled its earnings in the previous year, evidence that the Black Mamba’s appeal has actually continued to grow in the years after his unfortunate death. In 2022, Nike reached a brand-new long term-agreement with Bryant’s household for brand-new shoes and clothing releases under his sub-brand, consisting of more than a lots brand-new items in 2025.
Methoology
This year’s Dead Star ranking consists of those pretax revenues from sales, streams, licensing offers and other sources in between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025, in addition to estate acquisitions made or revealed throughout the very same duration, which are dispersed to member of the family and other recipients. Forbes puts together the numbers with the aid of information from Luminate and interviews with market experts. Charges for representatives, supervisors and legal representatives are not subtracted.
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Source: Forbes.
