-
Michael Jackson named Forbes’ highest-paid deceased celebrity of 2023 in the world [Full List]
According to the latest Forbes update, Michael Jackson is the highest-earning deceased celebrity in 2023, raking in an astonishing $115 million (equivalent to N90.5 billion). Throughout his more than 30-year solo career, the King of Pop amassed an impressive total of over $1.1 billion.
Michael Jackson’s earnings in recent years have come from various sources, including Cirque du Soleil shows, his own music and publishing revenues, and his share of the Sony/ATV publishing catalog. Ticket sales for Michael Jackson (MJ) events also contributed a significant sum of $85 million to his earnings.
In second place is Elvis Presley, who earned $100 million. Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley, welcomed over 600,000 visitors in the past 12 months, contributing to his substantial posthumous income. Elvis Presley, often referred to as “The King of Rock and Roll,” was a legendary American musician and actor who passed away at the age of 42 due to health issues related to prescription drug abuse and unhealthy eating habits.
Ray Manzarek, a founding member of the iconic rock band The Doors, ranks third with $45 million.
In a ranking of the highest-earning deceased celebrities, Dr. Seuss secured 4th place with earnings of $40 million. Theodor Seuss Geisel, known as Dr. Seuss, was a renowned American author and illustrator, celebrated for his imaginative and whimsical children’s books.
While he is most famous for his educational books that help children learn to read, such as “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish,” “Green Eggs and Ham,” and “Hop on Pop,” some of his other notable works include cautionary tales like “The Lorax” and the inspirational “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” According to Forbes, his book “The Cat in the Hat” currently holds a significant share of his sales.
Charles Schulz, the creator of the Peanuts cartoon, secured the 5th position with earnings of $30 million. The iconic musician Prince, who famously referred to the afterlife as “a world of never-ending happiness,” ranked 6th with $30 million. Unfortunately, Prince passed away on April 21, 2016, at the age of 57 due to an accidental overdose of the opioid fentanyl.
Whitney Houston claimed the 7th spot with earnings of $30 million. Her movie “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” was a box office hit, grossing $60 million worldwide.
Whitney Houston was an American singer and actress, often referred to as “the voice.” She remains one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with over 220 million records sold worldwide. In 2023, Rolling Stone named her the second-greatest singer of all time.
Tragically, in February 2012, Whitney Houston was found dead in a bathtub at a Beverly Hills hotel shortly before Clive Davis’s pre-Grammy party. A coroner’s report concluded that the cause of death was accidental drowning, with heart disease and cocaine use listed as contributing factors.
They were ranked based on their pretax earnings from sales, licensing deals, streams, and other sources of income between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023.
See the list below:
US singer, Michael Jackson – $115 million
US singer and actor, Elvis Presley – $100 million
US keyboardist, Ray Manzarek – $45 million
US cartoonist, Dr. Seuss – $40 million
US cartoonist, Charles M. Schulz – $30 million
US singer, Prince – $30 million
US singer, Whitney Houston – $30 million
British singer, John Lennon – $22 million
Jamaican singer, Bob Marley – $16 million
US singer, Bing Crosby – $14 million
British singer, George Harrison – $14 million
US golfer, Arnold Palmer – $10 million
US singer, Marilyn Monroe – $10 million