Michael Jackson, the late king of music, has topped Forbes’ list of the highest-paid dead celebrities of 2023, earning an estimated $115 million.
The list, published on Tuesday, October 31, ranks the top 13 deceased celebrities based on their pretax profits from sales, streaming, licensing deals, and other sources of income between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023.
It also includes their estate acquisitions made or announced during the same period.
According to Forbes, the 13 deceased artists, novelists, and other A-listers on the publication’s annual list of the highest-paid dead celebrities collected $470 million in the previous year, a 70% decline from the record-breaking $1.6 billion garnered in 2022.
Michael Jackson reclaimed the top rank for the first time in four years, earning an estimated $115 million. He is followed at No. 2 by his late father-in-law, Elvis Presley.
See the list below:
1. Michael Jackson – $115 million
2. Elvis Presley – $100 million
3. Ray Manzarek – $45 million
4. Dr. Seuss – $40 million
5. Charles M. Schulz – $30 million
6. Prince – $30 million
7. Whitney Houston – $30 million
8. John Lennon – $22 million
9. Bob Marley – $16 million
10. Bing Crosby – $14 million
11. George Harrison – $14 million
12. Arnold Palmer – $10 million
13. Marilyn Monroe – $10 million
