This is a list of the world's highest-paid dead celebrities as ranked by Forbes magazine since October 2001.
This is a list of the world's highest-paid dead celebrities as ranked by Forbes magazine since October 2001.
The 2024 list: [1]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Jackson | Musician | United States | Overdose/homicide | $600 million |
| 2 | Freddie Mercury | United Kingdom | AIDS | $250 million | |
| 3 | Dr. Seuss | Author | United States | Cancer | $75 million |
| 4 | Elvis Presley | Musician | Heart attack | $50 million | |
| 5 | Ric Ocasek | Musician | Heart disease | $45 million | |
| 6 | Prince | Musician | Overdose | $35 million | |
| 7 | Bob Marley | Musician | Jamaica | Cancer | $34 million |
| 8 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | United States | Cancer | $30 million |
| 9 | Matthew Perry | Actor | Overdose | $18 million | |
| 10 | John Lennon | Musician | United Kingdom | Homicide | $17 million |
| 11 | James Brown | Musician | United States | Heart failure | $15 million |
| 12 | Arnold Palmer | Athlete | Heart disease | $14 million | |
| 13 | Whitney Houston | Musician | Drowning | $13 million |
The 2023 list: [2]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Jackson | Musician | United States | Overdose/homicide | $115 million |
| 2 | Elvis Presley | Musician | Heart attack | $100 million | |
| 3 | Ray Manzarek | Musician | Cancer | $45 million | |
| 4 | Dr. Seuss | Author | Heart attack | $40 million | |
| 5 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | Cancer | $30 million | |
| 6 | Prince | Musician | Overdose | $30 million | |
| 7 | Whitney Houston | Musician | Drowning | $30 million | |
| 8 | John Lennon | Musician | United Kingdom | Homicide | $22 million |
| 9 | Bob Marley | Musician | Jamaica | Cancer | $16 million |
| 10 | Bing Crosby | Musician | United States | Heart attack | $14 million |
| 11 | George Harrison | Musician | United Kingdom | Cancer | $14 million |
| 12 | Arnold Palmer | Athlete | United States | Heart disease | $10 million |
| 13 | Marilyn Monroe | Actor | Overdose | $10 million |
The 2022 list: [3]
J.R.R. Tolkien earned $500 million from the sale of Middle-Earth Enterprises. [3]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | J. R. R. Tolkien | Author | United Kingdom | Pneumonia | $500 million |
| 2 | Kobe Bryant | Athlete | United States | Helicopter crash | $400 million |
| 3 | David Bowie | Musician | United Kingdom | Cancer | $250 million |
| 4 | Elvis Presley | Musician | United States | Heart attack | $110 million |
| 5 | James Brown | Musician | Heart failure | $100 million | |
| 6 | Michael Jackson | Musician | Overdose/homicide [4] | $75 million | |
| 7 | Leonard Cohen | Musician | Canada | Fatal fall | $55 million |
| 8 | Dr. Seuss | Author | United States | Cancer | $32 million |
| 9 | Jeff Porcaro | Musician | Heart attack | $25 million | |
| 10 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | Cancer | $24 million | |
| 11 | Juan Gabriel | Musician | Mexico | Heart attack | $23 million |
| 12 | John Lennon | Musician | United Kingdom | Homicide | $16 million |
| 13 | George Harrison | Musician | Cancer | $12 million |
The 2021 list: [5]
Netflix announced the acquisition of the Roald Dahl Story Company, which manages the rights to Roald Dahl's stories and characters, for a fee of $684 million (£500m). Dahl's heirs held at least a 75% stake before the company was acquired. [5]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roald Dahl | Author | United Kingdom | Cancer | $513 million |
| 2 | Prince | Musician | United States | Overdose | $120 million |
| 3 | Michael Jackson | Overdose/homicide [4] | $75 million | ||
| 4 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | Cancer | $40 million | |
| 5 | Dr. Seuss | Author | $35 million | ||
| 6 | Bing Crosby | Musician | Heart attack | $33 million | |
| 7 | Elvis Presley | $30 million | |||
| 8 | Arnold Palmer | Athlete | Heart disease | $27 million | |
| 9 | Gerry Goffin | Lyricist | Natural causes | $23 million | |
| 10 | Luther Vandross | Musician | Stroke | $21 million | |
| 11 | Bob Marley | Jamaica | Cancer | $16 million | |
| 12 | Juice Wrld | United States | Accidental overdose | $15 million | |
| 13 | John Lennon | United Kingdom | Homicide | $12 million |
The 2020 list: [6]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Jackson | Musician | United States | Overdose/homicide [4] | $48 million |
| 2 | Dr. Seuss | Author | Cancer | $33 million | |
| 3 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | $32.5 million | ||
| 4 | Arnold Palmer | Athlete | Heart disease | $25 million | |
| 5 | Elvis Presley | Musician | Heart attack | $23 million | |
| 6 | Kobe Bryant | Athlete | Helicopter crash | $20 million | |
| 7 | Juice Wrld | Musician | Overdose | $15 million | |
| 8 | Bob Marley | Jamaica | Cancer | $14 million | |
| 9 | John Lennon | United Kingdom | Homicide | $13 million | |
| 10 | Prince | United States | Overdose | $10 million | |
| 11 | Freddie Mercury | United Kingdom | AIDS | $9 million | |
| 12 | George Harrison | Cancer | $8.5 million | ||
| 13 | Marilyn Monroe | Actor | United States | Overdose | $8 million |
The 2019 list: [7]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Jackson | Musician | United States | Overdose/homicide [4] | $60 million |
| 2 | Elvis Presley | Heart attack | $39 million | ||
| 3 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | Cancer | $38 million | |
| 4 | Arnold Palmer | Athlete | Heart disease | $30 million | |
| 5 | Bob Marley | Musician | Jamaica | Cancer | $20 million |
| 6 | Dr. Seuss | Author | United States | $19 million | |
| 7 | John Lennon | Musician | United Kingdom | Homicide | $14 million |
| 8 | Marilyn Monroe | Actor | United States | Overdose | $13 million |
| 9 | Prince | Musician | United States | $12 million | |
| 10 | Nipsey Hussle | Homicide | $11 million | ||
| 11 | XXXTentacion | $10 million | |||
| 12 | Whitney Houston | Drowning | $9.5 million | ||
| 13 | George Harrison | United Kingdom | Cancer | $9 million | |
Michael Jackson brought in $287 million from the sale of his estate's stake in Sony/ATV Music Publishing to Sony. [10]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Jackson | Musician | United States | Overdose/homicide [4] | $400 million |
| 2 | Elvis Presley | Heart attack | $40 million | ||
| 3 | Arnold Palmer | Athlete | Heart disease | $35 million | |
| 4 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | Cancer | $34 million | |
| 5 | Bob Marley | Musician | Jamaica | $23 million | |
| 6 | Dr. Seuss | Author | United States | $16 million | |
| 7 | Hugh Hefner | Personality | Sepsis | $15 million | |
| 8 | Marilyn Monroe | Actor | Overdose | $14 million | |
| 9 | Prince | Musician | Overdose | $13 million | |
| 10 | John Lennon | United Kingdom | Homicide | $12 million | |
| 11 | XXXTentacion | United States | $11 million | ||
| 12 | Muhammad Ali | Athlete | Septic shock | $8 million | |
| 13 | Bettie Page | Model | Heart attack | $7 million | |
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Jackson | Musician | United States | Overdose/homicide [4] | $75 million |
| 2 | Arnold Palmer | Athlete | Heart disease | $40 million | |
| 3 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | Cancer | $38 million | |
| 4 | Elvis Presley | Musician | Heart attack | $35 million | |
| 5 | Bob Marley | Jamaica | Cancer | $23 million | |
| 6 | Tom Petty | United States | Overdose | $20 million | |
| 7 | Prince | $18 million | |||
| 8 | Dr. Seuss | Author | Cancer | $16 million | |
| 9 | John Lennon | Musician | United Kingdom | Homicide | $12 million |
| 10 | Albert Einstein | Scientist | Germany | Aneurysm | $10 million |
| 11 | David Bowie | Musician | United Kingdom | Cancer | $9.5 million |
| 12 | Elizabeth Taylor | Actor | Heart failure | $8 million | |
| 13 | Bettie Page | Model | United States | Heart attack | $7.5 million |
The 2016 list: [13]
Michael Jackson had the largest annual gain for an entertainer, living or dead, due to the $750 million sale of his half of the Sony/ATV Music Publishing catalogue.
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Jackson | Musician | United States | Overdose/homicide [4] | $825 million |
| 2 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | Cancer | $48 million | |
| 3 | Arnold Palmer | Athlete | Heart disease | $40 million | |
| 4 | Elvis Presley | Musician | Heart attack | $27 million | |
| 5 | Prince | Overdose | $25 million | ||
| 6 | Bob Marley | Jamaica | Cancer | $21 million | |
| 7 | Dr. Seuss | Author | United States | $20 million | |
| 8 | John Lennon | Musician | United Kingdom | Homicide | $12 million |
| 9 | Albert Einstein | Scientist | Germany | Aneurysm | $11.5 million |
| 10 | Bettie Page | Model | United States | Heart attack | $11 million |
| 11 | David Bowie | Musician | United Kingdom | Cancer | $10.5 million |
| 12 | Steve McQueen | Actor | United States | Heart attack | $9 million |
| 13 | Elizabeth Taylor | United Kingdom | Heart failure | $8 million |
The 2015 list: [14]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Jackson | Musician | United States | Overdose/homicide [4] | $115 million |
| 2 | Elvis Presley | Heart attack | $55 million | ||
| 3 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | Cancer | $40 million | |
| 4 | Bob Marley | Musician | Jamaica | $21 million | |
| 5 | Elizabeth Taylor | Actor | United Kingdom | Heart failure | $20 million |
| 6 | Marilyn Monroe | United States | Overdose | $17 million | |
| 7 | John Lennon | Musician | United Kingdom | Homicide | $12 million |
| 8 | Albert Einstein | Scientist | Germany | Aneurysm | $11 million |
| 9 | Bettie Page | Model | United States | Heart attack | $10 million |
| 10 | Dr. Seuss | Author | Cancer | $9.5 million | |
| 11 | Steve McQueen | Actor | Heart attack | $9 million | |
| 12 | Paul Walker | Car crash | $8.5 million | ||
| James Dean | |||||
The 2014 list: [15]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Jackson | Musician | United States | Overdose/homicide [4] | $140 million |
| 2 | Elvis Presley | Heart attack | $55 million | ||
| 3 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | Cancer | $40 million | |
| 4 | Elizabeth Taylor | Actor | United Kingdom | Heart failure | $25 million |
| Paul Walker | United States | Car crash | |||
| 6 | Marilyn Monroe | Overdose | $17 million | ||
| 7 | John Lennon | Musician | United Kingdom | Homicide | $12 million |
| 8 | Albert Einstein | Scientist | Germany | Aneurysm | $11 million |
| 9 | Dr. Seuss | Author | United States | Cancer | $9 million |
| Bruce Lee | Actor | Cerebral edema | |||
| Steve McQueen | Cancer | ||||
| Bettie Page | Model | Heart attack | |||
| 13 | James Dean | Actor | Car crash | $7 million | |
The 2013 list: [16]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Jackson | Musician | United States | Overdose/homicide [4] | $160 million |
| 2 | Elvis Presley | Heart attack | $55 million | ||
| 3 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | Cancer | $37 million | |
| 4 | Elizabeth Taylor | Actor | United Kingdom | Heart failure | $25 million |
| 5 | Bob Marley | Musician | Jamaica | Cancer | $17 million |
| 6 | Marilyn Monroe | Actor | United States | Overdose | $15 million |
| 7 | John Lennon | Musician | United Kingdom | Homicide | $12 million |
| 8 | Albert Einstein | Scientist | Germany | Aneurysm | $10 million |
| Bettie Page | Model | United States | Heart attack | ||
| 10 | Dr. Seuss | Author | Cancer | $9 million | |
| Steve McQueen | Actor | Heart attack | |||
| 12 | Bruce Lee | Cerebral edema | $7 million |
The 2012 list: [17]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elizabeth Taylor | Actor | United Kingdom | Heart failure | $210 million |
| 2 | Michael Jackson | Musician | United States | Overdose/homicide [4] | $145 million |
| 3 | Elvis Presley | Heart attack | $55 million | ||
| 4 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | Cancer | $37 million | |
| 5 | Bob Marley | Musician | Jamaica | $17 million | |
| 6 | John Lennon | United Kingdom | Homicide | $12 million | |
| 7 | Marilyn Monroe | Actor | United States | Overdose | $10 million |
| Albert Einstein | Scientist | Germany | Aneurysm | ||
| 9 | Dr. Seuss | Author | United States | Cancer | $9 million |
| 10 | Steve McQueen | Actor | Heart attack | $8 million | |
| Bettie Page | Model | ||||
| 12 | Richard Rodgers | Composer | Cancer | $6 million | |
| 13 | George Harrison | Musician | United Kingdom | $5.5 million | |
The 2011 list: [18]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Jackson | Musician | United States | Overdose/homicide [4] | $170 million |
| 2 | Elvis Presley | Heart attack | $55 million | ||
| 3 | Marilyn Monroe | Actor | Overdose | $27 million | |
| 4 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | Cancer | $25 million | |
| 5 | John Lennon | Musician | United Kingdom | Homicide | $12 million |
| Elizabeth Taylor | Actor | Heart failure | |||
| 7 | Albert Einstein | Scientist | Germany | Aneurysm | $10 million |
| 8 | Dr. Seuss | Author | United States | Cancer | $9 million |
| 9 | Jimi Hendrix | Musician | Overdose | $7 million | |
| Stieg Larsson | Author | Sweden | Heart attack | ||
| Steve McQueen | Actor | United States | |||
| Richard Rodgers | Composer | Cancer | |||
| 13 | George Harrison | Musician | United Kingdom | $6 million | |
| Bettie Page | Model | United States | Heart attack | ||
| Andy Warhol | Artist | Arrhythmia | |||
The 2010 list: [19]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Jackson | Musician | United States | Overdose/homicide [4] | $275 million |
| 2 | Elvis Presley | Heart attack | $60 million | ||
| 3 | J. R. R. Tolkien | Author | United Kingdom | Pneumonia | $50 million |
| 4 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | United States | Cancer | $33 million |
| 5 | John Lennon | Musician | United Kingdom | Homicide | $17 million |
| 6 | Stieg Larsson | Author | Sweden | Heart attack | $15 million |
| 7 | Dr. Seuss | United States | Cancer | $11 million | |
| 8 | Albert Einstein | Scientist | Germany | Aneurysm | $10 million |
| 9 | George Steinbrenner | Businessperson | United States | Heart attack | $8 million |
| 10 | Richard Rodgers | Composer | Cancer | $7 million | |
| 11 | Jimi Hendrix | Musician | Overdose | $6 million | |
| Steve McQueen | Actor | Heart attack | |||
| 13 | Aaron Spelling | Film producer | Stroke | $5 million | |
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yves Saint Laurent | Fashion designer | France | Cancer | $350 million |
| 2 | Richard Rodgers | Composer | United States | $235 million | |
| Oscar Hammerstein | Lyricist | ||||
| 3 | Michael Jackson | Musician | Overdose/homicide [4] | $90 million | |
| 4 | Elvis Presley | Musician | Heart attack | $55 million | |
| 5 | J. R. R. Tolkien | Author | United Kingdom | Pneumonia | $50 million |
| 6 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | United States | Cancer | $35 million |
| 7 | John Lennon | Musician | United Kingdom | Homicide | $15 million |
| Dr. Seuss | Author | United States | Cancer | ||
| 9 | Albert Einstein | Scientist | Germany | Aneurysm | $10 million |
| 10 | Michael Crichton | Author | United States | Cancer | $9 million |
| 11 | Jimi Hendrix | Musician | Overdose | $8 million | |
| Aaron Spelling | Film producer | Stroke | |||
| 13 | Andy Warhol | Artist | Arrhythmia | $6 million | |
The 2008 list: [22]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elvis Presley | Musician | United States | Heart attack | $52 million |
| 2 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | United States | Cancer | $33 million |
| 3 | Heath Ledger | Actor | Australia | Overdose | $20 million |
| 4 | Albert Einstein | Scientist | Germany | Aneurysm | $18 million |
| 5 | Aaron Spelling | Film producer | United States | Stroke | $15 million |
| 6 | Dr. Seuss | Author | United States | Cancer | $12 million |
| 7 | John Lennon | Musician | United Kingdom | Homicide | $9 million |
| Andy Warhol | Artist | United States | Arrhythmia | ||
| 9 | Marilyn Monroe | Actor | Overdose | $6.5 million | |
| 10 | Steve McQueen | Heart attack | $6 million | ||
| 11 | Paul Newman | Cancer | $5 million | ||
| James Dean | Car crash | ||||
| 13 | Marvin Gaye | Musician | Homicide | $3.5 million |
The 2007 list: [23]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elvis Presley | Musician | United States | Heart attack | $49 million |
| 2 | John Lennon | United Kingdom | Homicide | $44 million | |
| 3 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | United States | Cancer | $35 million |
| 4 | George Harrison | Musician | United Kingdom | $22 million | |
| 5 | Albert Einstein | Scientist | Germany | Aneurysm | $18 million |
| 6 | Andy Warhol | Artist | United States | Arrhythmia | $15 million |
| 7 | Dr. Seuss | Author | Cancer | $13 million | |
| 8 | Tupac Shakur | Musician | Homicide | $9 million | |
| 9 | Marilyn Monroe | Actor | Overdose | $7 million | |
| 10 | Steve McQueen | Heart attack | $6 million | ||
| 11 | James Brown | Musician | Heart failure | $5 million | |
| 12 | Bob Marley | Jamaica | Cancer | $4 million | |
| 13 | James Dean | Actor | United States | Car crash | $3.5 million |
The 2006 list: [24]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kurt Cobain | Musician | United States | Suicide | $50 million |
| 2 | Elvis Presley | Heart attack | $42 million | ||
| 3 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | Cancer | $35 million | |
| 4 | John Lennon | Musician | United Kingdom | Homicide | $24 million |
| 5 | Albert Einstein | Scientist | Germany | Aneurysm | $20 million |
| 6 | Andy Warhol | Artist | United States | Arrhythmia | $19 million |
| 7 | Dr. Seuss | Author | Cancer | $10 million | |
| Ray Charles | Musician | Liver failure | |||
| 9 | Marilyn Monroe | Actor | Overdose | $8 million | |
| 10 | Johnny Cash | Musician | Diabetes | $8 million | |
| 11 | J. R. R. Tolkien | Author | United Kingdom | Pneumonia | $7 million |
| George Harrison | Musician | Cancer | |||
| Bob Marley | Jamaica | ||||
The 2005 list: [25]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elvis Presley | Musician | United States | Heart attack | $45 million |
| 2 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | Cancer | $35 million | |
| 3 | John Lennon | Musician | United Kingdom | Homicide | $22 million |
| 4 | Andy Warhol | Artist | United States | Arrhythmia | $16 million |
| 5 | Dr. Seuss | Author | Cancer | $10 million | |
| 6 | Marlon Brando | Actor | Respiratory failure | $9 million | |
| 7 | Marilyn Monroe | Overdose | $8 million | ||
| J. R. R. Tolkien | Author | United Kingdom | Pneumonia | ||
| 9 | George Harrison | Musician | Cancer | $7 million | |
| Johnny Cash | United States | Diabetes | |||
| Irving Berlin | Composer | Heart attack | |||
| 12 | Bob Marley | Musician | Jamaica | Cancer | $6 million |
| Ray Charles | United States | Liver failure | |||
The 2004 list: [26]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elvis Presley | Musician | United States | Heart attack | $40 million |
| 2 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | Cancer | $35 million | |
| 3 | J. R. R. Tolkien | Author | United Kingdom | Pneumonia | $23 million |
| 4 | John Lennon | Musician | Homicide | $21 million | |
| 5 | Dr. Seuss | Author | United States | Cancer | $18 million |
| 6 | Marilyn Monroe | Actor | Overdose | $8 million | |
| 7 | George Harrison | Musician | United Kingdom | Cancer | $7 million |
| Irving Berlin | Composer | United States | Heart attack | ||
| Bob Marley | Musician | Jamaica | Cancer | ||
| 10 | Richard Rodgers | Composer | United States | $6.5 million | |
| 11 | George Gershwin | $6 million | |||
| Ira Gershwin | Lyricist | Heart disease | |||
| Jimi Hendrix | Musician | Overdose | |||
| Alan Jay Lerner | Lyricist | Cancer | |||
| Frederick Loewe | Composer | Heart attack | |||
| Cole Porter | Kidney failure | ||||
| 17 | James Dean | Actor | Car crash | $5 million | |
| Dale Earnhardt | Athlete | ||||
| Jerry Garcia | Musician | Heart attack | |||
| Freddie Mercury | United Kingdom | AIDS | |||
| Tupac Shakur | United States | Homicide | |||
| Frank Sinatra | Heart attack | ||||
The 2003 list: [27]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elvis Presley | Musician | United States | Heart attack | $40 million |
| 2 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | Cancer | $32 million | |
| 3 | J. R. R. Tolkien | Author | United Kingdom | Pneumonia | $22 million |
| 4 | John Lennon | Musician | Homicide | $19 million | |
| 5 | George Harrison | Cancer | $16 million | ||
| 6 | Dr. Seuss | Author | United States | ||
| 7 | Dale Earnhardt | Athlete | Car crash | $15 million | |
| 8 | Tupac Shakur | Musician | Homicide | $12 million | |
| 9 | Bob Marley | Jamaica | Cancer | $9 million | |
| 10 | Marilyn Monroe | Actor | United States | Overdose | $8 million |
| 11 | Frank Sinatra | Musician | Heart attack | $7 million | |
| 12 | Richard Rodgers | Composer | Cancer | ||
| 13 | Oscar Hammerstein | Songwriter | |||
| 14 | Jimi Hendrix | Musician | Overdose | ||
| 15 | Cole Porter | Composer | Kidney failure | $6 million | |
| 16 | Irving Berlin | Heart attack | |||
| 17 | Robert Atkins | Doctor | United Kingdom | Head trauma | |
| 18 | James Dean | Actor | United States | Car crash | $5 million |
| 19 | Jerry Garcia | Musician | Heart attack | ||
The 2002 list: [28]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elvis Presley | Musician | United States | Heart attack | $37 million |
| 2 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | Cancer | $28 million | |
| 3 | John Lennon | Musician | United Kingdom | Homicide | $20 million |
| Dale Earnhardt | Athlete | United States | Car crash | ||
| 5 | Dr. Seuss | Author | Cancer | $19 million | |
| 6 | George Harrison | Musician | United Kingdom | $17 million | |
| 7 | J. R. R. Tolkien | Author | United Kingdom | Pneumonia | $12 million |
| 8 | Bob Marley | Musician | Jamaica | Cancer | $10 million |
| 9 | Jimi Hendrix | United States | Overdose | $8 million | |
| 10 | Tupac Shakur | Homicide | $7 million | ||
| Marilyn Monroe | Actor | Overdose | |||
| 12 | Jerry Garcia | Musician | Heart attack | $5 million | |
| Robert Ludlum | Author | ||||
The 2001 list: [29]
| Rank | Name | Career | Nation | Cause of Death | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elvis Presley | Musician | United States | Heart attack | $35 million |
| 2 | Charles Schulz | Cartoonist | Cancer | $20 million | |
| John Lennon | Musician | United Kingdom | Homicide | ||
| 4 | Dr. Seuss | Author | United States | Cancer | $17 million |
| 5 | Jimi Hendrix | Musician | Overdose | $10 million | |
| Bob Marley | Jamaica | Cancer | |||
| 7 | Andy Warhol | Artist | United States | Arrhythmia | $8 million |
| 8 | J. R. R. Tolkien | Author | United Kingdom | Pneumonia | $7 million |
| 9 | Frank Sinatra | Musician | United States | Heart attack | $6 million |
| 10 | Jerry Garcia | $5 million | |||
| 11 | Keith Haring | Artist | AIDS | $4 million | |
| Marilyn Monroe | Actor | Overdose | |||
| 13 | James Dean | Car crash | $3 million | ||
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Michael Joseph Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, becoming the best-selling solo music act of all time. Over a four-decade career, his vast contributions to music, dance and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture. Jackson influenced artists across a variety of musical styles. Through his decorative singing and visual presentation, he popularized street dance moves such as the moonwalk, which he named, the robot, and the anti-gravity lean.
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Perry is one of the best-selling music artists in history, having sold over 143 million units worldwide. She is known for her influence on pop music and her camp style, being dubbed the "Queen of Camp" by Vogue and Rolling Stone.
Claude Kelly is an American record producer, songwriter, and singer. A four-time Grammy Award nominee, and he has been credited on commercially successful releases for artists such as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Christina Aguilera, Adam Lambert, Jennifer Lopez, Kesha, Brandy, Keke Wyatt, Tori Kelly, and One Direction. He is one-half of the duo Louis York, which he formed with Chuck Harmony in 2015; the two also co-founded the record label Weirdo Workshop that same year.
Zack O'Malley Greenburg is an American writer, journalist and former child actor. He spent a decade as a senior editor at Forbes magazine, covering music, media and entertainment. He is also the author of five books, including Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went From Street Corner to Corner Office and A-List Angels: How a Band of Actors, Artists, and Athletes Hacked Silicon Valley. He played Lorenzo Odone in the 1992 film Lorenzo's Oil.
Adam Kluger is an American music manager, and the founder and CEO of the Kluger Agency, an agency that arranges product placements in music videos and on musical recordings.
This is a list of Claude Kelly's songwriting and production credits.
A YouTuber is a type of content creator and social media influencer who uploads or creates videos on the online video-sharing website YouTube, typically posting to their personal YouTube channel. The term was first used in the English language in 2006, and subsequently appeared in the 2006 Time Person of the Year issue.
The Estate of Michael Jackson is a legal entity established following the death of American singer Michael Jackson in 2009 for the purpose of administering his property and overseeing his posthumous income. Jackson's last will was filed by the attorney John Branca at the Los Angeles County courthouse on July 1, 2009. Signed July 7, 2002, it names Branca and accountant John McClain as executors; they were confirmed as such by a Los Angeles judge on July 6, 2009. All assets are given to the (pre-existing) Michael Jackson Family Trust, the details of which have not been made public. The Associated Press reported that, in 2007, Jackson had a net worth of $236.6 million: $567.6 million in assets, which included Neverland Ranch and his 50% share of Sony/ATV Music Publishing' catalogue, and debts of $331 million. The guardianship of his three children is given to his mother, Katherine, or if she is unable or unwilling, to singer Diana Ross. Jackson's will allocates 20% of his fortune as well as 20% of money made after death to unspecified charities.
The highest-paid musicians in the world have been reported annually by Forbes since at least 1987. For measurement, the magazine used pretax earnings—before deducting fees for agents, managers or lawyers. Most of the lists were estimated within a June-to-June scoring period, except for 1999, 2021, and 2022 when a calendar year period was used instead.
The Forbes Top 40 was an annual list of 40 highest-paid entertainers compiled and published by Forbes magazine from 1987 until 1998. The following year, 1999, it was created the Forbes Celebrity 100. The list was published every September, compiled by using the income of performers over two years to overcome the year-to-year of a performer's income.
Borbay is an American painter recognized for his location painting and portraiture. In 2009, Borbay commenced his 20-year project to depict Frank Lloyd Wright's Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum on canvas annually. A native of New York currently living and working in Victor, Idaho, near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, Borbet is self-represented.
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