THE 13 TOP-EARNING DEAD CELEBRITIES
1. Michael Jackson $48 million
DIED: June 25, 2009 (50)
CAUSE: Overdose/ homicide
The 2019 release of the damning documentary Leaving Neverland didn’t cost the King of Pop his crown. Jackson’s Mijac Music catalog, which includes tunes by Elvis and Aretha Franklin, plus a long-term deal with Sony, account for more than 70% of his earnings.
2. Dr. Seuss
(See page 17.)
3. Charles Schulz $32.5 million
DIED: Feb. 12, 2000 (77)
CAUSE: Cancer
Charlie Brown and Snoopy are hardly worth peanuts. In the fiscal year ended June 30, the Schulz estate brought in more than
$110 million in revenue.
Part of that comes from Apple TV+, which aired a new series, Snoopy in Space, and classics like A Charlie Brown Christmas.
4. Arnold Palmer $25 million
DIED: Sept. 25, 2016 (87)
CAUSE: Heart disease
The golf season may have been shortened by Covid-19, but Arnie’s Army is still drinking him up. The King’s deal with Arizona Beverages for his namesake lemonade– iced tea beverage brings in millions, cushioned by a contract with Mastercard and hundreds of retailers that sell Arnold Palmer– branded merchandise.
5. Elvis Presley $23 million
DIED: Aug. 16, 1977 (42)
CAUSE: Heart attack
The coronavirus shook up Elvis’ empire. Graceland, his home-turned-museum in Memphis, Tennessee, typically accounts for more than $10 million of his earnings but was closed for two months this year and is now operating at reduced capacity.
6. Kobe Bryant
$20 million
DIED: Jan. 26, 2020 (41)
CAUSE: Helicopter crash
After the L.A. Lakers legend died in a chopper accident in January,
Nike sold out its Bryant merchandise. Fans also made a fast break for his autobiography, which sold more than 300,000 copies this year.
7. Juice WRLD
$15 million
DIED: Dec. 8, 2019 (21)
CAUSE: Overdose
Rapper Jarad Higgins, known as Juice WRLD, saw his music streams spike after he died last December, just nine months after the release of his sophomore album, Death Race for Love.
His third album, Legends Never Die, released posthumously, also topped the Billboard charts.
8. Bob Marley
$14 million
DIED: May 11, 1981 (36)
CAUSE: Cancer
Marley also saw his music streams soar this year—the reggae legend accumulated more than a billion spins globally. House of Marley, his line of speakers, turntables and headphones, as well as sales of T-shirts and lighters with his likeness, added more than $3 million to his coffers.
9. John Lennon
$13 million
DIED: Dec. 8, 1980 (40)
CAUSE: Homicide
Forty years after Lennon’s murder, Beatles music still rings up a lot of dollars on Penny Lane. And thanks to a cowriting credit on the Fab Four’s most popular songs, the late Lennon also cashes in when a tune is used on television or in the movies.
10. Prince
$10 million
DIED: April 21, 2016 (57)
CAUSE: Overdose
While his Paisley Park has never reached Graceland-level popularity, the High Priest of Pop can still move music. This year, the Purple One moved nearly 700,000 album equivalents in the United States alone.
11. Freddie Mercury
$9 million
DIED: Nov. 24, 1991 (45)
CAUSE: AIDS
After 2018’s awardwinning film Bohemian Rhapsody put Mercury back into the spotlight, the show must go on. Not only did the singer’s estate reap a small portion of the film’s nearly $1 billion box office; its success also led to a spike in sales of Queen’s music and merchandise.
12. George Harrison
$8.5 million
DIED: Nov. 29, 2001 (58)
CAUSE: Cancer
The Quiet Beatle pocketed a seven-figure check from the band’s Cirque du Soleil show, Love—even with the Las Vegas Strip shut down for most of the year.
13. Marilyn Monroe
$8 million
DIED: Aug. 4, 1962 (36)
CAUSE: Overdose
The late movie goddess will forever be worshiped—her image and name are used by nearly 100 brands globally, including Dolce & Gabbana, Zales and even Lego.
METHODOLOGY: Our annual list of the top-earning dead celebrities measures pretax income from October 1, 2019, through October 1, 2020, even for those (such as Kobe Bryant) who were alive at the beginning of the scoring period. We compile our numbers with the help of data from MRC Data, IMDbPro, NPD BookScan and interviews with industry insiders. Fees for agents, managers and lawyers are not deducted.