- Culture
- 01 Nov 18
Forbes release list of top earning late musicians, athletes and actors in 2018.
Forbes released a list of the highest-paid dead celebrities of 2018, including Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Marilyn Monroe. It doesn't come as a surprise that the King of Pop Michael Jackson is topping the list earning $400 million in this year alone. It's believed that the new Sony record deal and projects like TV special Michael Jackson’s Halloween on CBS are contributing to the multi-millions the late musician is making.
The top ten highest-paid dead celebrities are as follows:
1 Michael Jackson
MJ is apparently earning more now than when he was alive, NME reported.
2 Elvis Presley
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The legendary singer has earned $40 million since his passing in 1977. Presley still sells over one million albums annually.
3 Arnold Palmer
Athlete Arnold Palmer made $35 million from a new addition to his alcohol line in conjunction with MolsonCoors.
4 Charles Schulz
Trailing behind at $34 million is cartoonist Charles Schulz, best known for his cartoon Peanuts.
5 Bob Marley
The reggae singer has made $23 million this year from headphones, Marley Natural cannabis and smoking accessories.
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6 Dr. Seuss
Children's author Dr. Seuss earned $16 million as 4.8 million of his books were sold over the year.
7 Hugh Hefner
The Playboy founder passed away in 2017 leaving quite the legacy. Hefner's heirs sold the remaining portion of his estate for an estimated $35 million last year, getting more than a third up front, earning the late media mogul $15 million.
8 Marilyn Monroe
The iconic actress made the Forbes list due to new licensing deals acquiring $14 million this year.
9 Prince
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During the course of the year the Purple Rain singer sold quarter-million physical albums, raking in $13 million.
10 John Lennon
John Lennon is added to the list due to the enduring success and appreciation for the Beatles. The late musician earned $12 million from annual album sales.
Honourable mentions include rapper XXXTentacion ($11 million), boxer Muhammad Ali ($8 million) and pin-up model Bettie Page ($7 million).