Michael Jackson has been named the top-earning dead celebrity by Forbes for the fifth year in a row.
The King of Pop – who died of acute Propofol intoxication in June 2009 – made a whopping $75 million in the past 12 months, ensuring he once again takes the top spot on the business publication’s annual list of the most profitable late stars.
His earnings have come from his music and publishing revenues, an hour-long Halloween special on CBS entitled ‘Michael Jackson’s Halloween’, which aired this past weekend, and posthumous new album ‘Scream’ which came out in September and is compromised of his most dance-infused tracks such as ‘Ghosts’, ‘Torture’ and ‘Thriller’ as the bonus track ‘Blood on the Dance Floor X Dangerous’, which is a high-energy five-song mash-up from acclaimed remixer The White Panda.
It is the seventh time that Jackson has topped the Forbes top-earning dead celebrities list since his passing; coming number one in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
The ‘Billie Jean’ hitmaker had almost double the earnings of golf legend Arnold Palmer, who came second after dying in 2016. His earnings of $40 million were mainly made up of sales of his apparel and namesake beverage products which are still sold by over 400 stores.
‘Peanuts’ cartoonist Charles Schulz came in third with $38 million, Elvis Presley was fourth with $35 million and Bob Marley rounded off the top five with $23 million banked.
Forbes top-earning dead celebrities 2017:
1) Michael Jackson — $75 million
2) Arnold Palmer — $40 million
3) Charles Schulz — $38 million
4) Elvis Presley — $35 million
5) Bob Marley — $23 million
6) Tom Petty — $20 million
7) Prince — $18 million
8) Dr. Seuss — $16 million
9) John Lennon — $12 million
10) Albert Einstein — $10 million
11) David Bowie — $9.5 million
12 Elizabeth Taylor — $8 million
13) Bettie Page — $7.5 million