Michael Jackson Tops List Of Forbes Top Earning Dead Celebrities
Oct. 26 2011, Published 3:00 p.m. ET
Michael Jackson has been named the highest-earning dead celebrity of the past year.
The late Thriller hitmaker - who died in June 2009 aged 50 - has topped Forbes' annual list of the Top Earning Dead Celebrities for the second consecutive year after his estate brought in $170 million between October 2010 and October 2011 from sales of his music and his stake in the Sony/ATV catalog.
The estate of the Beat It singer - whose earnings dropped from $275 million 12 months ago - is set to take half of the profits from the Cirque du Soleil theatrical production Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour, which started earlier this month.
Elvis Presley's Cirque du Soleil show Viva Elvis helped him to second on the list with a posthumous fortune of $55 million in the past year, and the estates of Beatles legends John Lennon and George Harrison - who placed fifth and 13th respectively - also benefited from similar productions.
Dame Elizabeth Taylor - who died in March - made her debut in the list, appearing in joint fifth after making $12 million, while the late actress' estate will earn more money this year when her jewels, artwork and gowns go up for auction on December 16.
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Iconic actress Marilyn Monroe placed third on the list, while Peanuts creator Charles Schulz was ranked fourth.
Full list of Forbes Top Earning Dead Celebrities:
1. Michael Jackson - $170 million
2. Elvis Presley - $55 million
3. Marilyn Monroe - $27 million
4. Charles Schulz - $25 million
5. John Lennon - $12 million
5. Elizabeth Taylor - $12 million
7. Albert Einstein - $10 million
8. Theodor Geisel - $9 million
9. Jimi Hendrix - $7 million
9. Stieg Larsson - $7 million
9. Steve McQueen - $7 million
9. Richard Rodgers - $7 million
13. George Harrison - $6 million
13. Bettie Page - $6 million
13. Andy Warhol - $6 million
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