Dead, Yet Emerges as World’s Highest-Paid Celebrity

Celebrities in the showbiz are known for their popularity and immense wealth flowing in the circuit. The various sources of income like acting, endorsements and strategic business investments help them rake in the moolah. Surprisingly, even those dead several years ago are also earning heavily through their fan base. Here, we have the highest-paid of them, earning $600 million per annum.

Recently, Forbes released the annual list of world’s highest-paid dead celebrities and Michael Jackson secured the first position in the 2024 list. Though dead in 2009, which means nearly 16 years ago, Jackson continued to keep the cash register ringing through sale of his music. In 2024 alone, the pop icon earned $600 million from licensing deals, streaming, and largely from the sale of the rights of his musical biopic – MJ.

The musical biopic gave Jackson edge over other high-earning dead celebrities like Dr Seuss ($75 million in 2024), Elvis Presley (%50 million) and Freddie Mercury ($250 million). It would be more amazing to know that Jackson’s 2024 earnings had crossed even the living celebrities. Taylor Swift is one among the heavily earning celebrities in the year, owing to her globally hit Eras Tour but she could pull in $400 million, standing next to MJ, says Forbes report. Other celebrity top listers like Tom Cruise ($25 million) and Shah Rukh Khan ($20 million) also could not match with Jackson’s earnings, even while personally managing their businesses.

According to information, Michael Jackson has earned $3.2 billion through his music and intellectual property rights, since his death. Jackson made foray into the music industry being a part of Jackson Five, even before he was a teenager. Being a hit among his siblings, Michael ventured out for a solo career at 18. In the 80s and 90s, he established himself as the most popular celebrity in the music world by composing all-time hits. In the 80s, he created a sensation with his album Thriller.

He passed away in 2009 due to an overdose of propofol given by his personal physician, Conrad Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011.