Michael Jackson ranks first on our annual Halloween-spooky list: The 13 Top-Earning Dead Celebrities. Here's a quick look at the reasons why.
Name: Michael Jackson
Earnings: $115 million
Occupation: Singer
Died: June 25, 2009
Age: 50
Cause: Overdose/homicide
Summary:
The King of Pop has earned triple-digit millions every full year since his death in 2009. The prime drivers of his afterlife fortune: permanent Vegas Cirque du Soleil show Michael Jackson One, the Mijac Music catalogue, recorded music sales and half of the Sony/ATV publishing empire.
Additional Reading:
Michael Jackson, Inc: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of a Billion-Dollar Empire
Michael Jackson Tops $1 Billion In Postmortem Earnings
For Michael Jackson And Sony/ATV, A Billion-Dollar Thriller Looms
For more about the business of music, check out my Jay Z biography, Empire State of Mind, and my other book, Michael Jackson, Inc. You can also follow me on Twitter and Facebook.
