Dead celebrities: A list of the highest earners
Here's a look at the past decade's biggest money-makers among the dearly — and famously — departed. These stars are still pulling in revenue (most often for their estates) through marketing and licensing deals, and royalties on their work.
Each icon noted here appeared on Forbes' annual list of the top-earning dead celebrities at least once from 2010 to 2019. The 31 stars are ranked by their biggest posthumous year.
31. Aaron Spelling, $5 million
TV producer
Died: 2006, at age 83
The late impresario made the Forbes list in 2010 on the strength of the CW's then-still-running "Beverly Hills, 90210" revival and his company's film library.
30. Andy Warhol, $6 million
Artist
Died: 1987, at age 58
Warhol was a perennial on Forbes' lists in the early 2000s, but only made it once in the past decade — in 2011. As with others in our rundown, he didn't fall out of favor as much as his steady posthumous income was topped by others.
(TIE) 29. Jimi Hendrix, $7 million
Musician
Died: 1970, at age 27
In 2011, the guitar god made a strong showing on the Forbes list on the strength of the release of the box set, "Winterland."
(TIE) 29. Jenni Rivera, $7 million
Singer
Died: 2012, at age 43
A surge in music sales following Rivera's death in a plane crash, plus the posthumous release of her autobiography, "Unbreakable: My Story, My Way," propelled the Latin Grammy nominee onto the 2013 Forbes list.
(TIE) 29. Richard Rodgers, $7 million
Composer
Died: 1979, at age 77
The musical giant's estate scored its biggest posthumous payday of the decade in 2010 and 2011 thanks to Rodgers' solo work (such as "Something Good," from the film version of "The Sound of Music"), and his collaborations with Lorenz Hart ("Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered").
(TIE) 26. George Steinbrenner, $8 million
Baseball team owner
Died: 2010, at age 80
Just months after Steinbrenner succumbed to a heart attack, the New York Yankees boss made Forbes' annual list of top-earning dead celebrities. The outlet said the estate was boosted by team merchandise sales and revenue from the Yanks' sports network.
(TIE) 26. Muhammad Ali, $8 million
Athlete
Died: 2016, at age 74
The boxing icon debuted on the Forbes list in 2018, when his estate benefited from a deal with Tag Heuer watches, and a settlement with Fox over a Super Bowl promo.
24. James Dean, $8.5 million
Actor
Died: 1955, age 24
The forever-young "Rebel Without a Cause" star posted his best showing on the Forbes list in 2015, with the outlet citing his estate's licensing deals with Jockey, Dolce & Gabbana and more.
(TIE) 23. George Harrison, $9 million
Musician
Died: 2001, at age 58
A mainstay on the Forbes list in the 2000s, the late Beatle posted his biggest earnings of this past decade in 2019, when the estate got a boost from a 50th-anniversary reissue of his band's "Abbey Road."
(TIE) 23. Bruce Lee, $9 million
Actor & martial artist
Died: 1973, at age 32
The late "Enter the Dragon" star scored his biggest posthumous year of the decade in 2014 thanks to ventures with Mazda and EA Sports, Forbes reported.
(TIE) 23. Steve McQueen, $9 million
Actor
Died: 1980, at age 50
According to Forbes, the hard-driving star's estate earned $9 million annually from 2013 to 2016.
Steve McQueen (continued)
Over the years, the Steve McQueen estate has been powered by deals with the likes of the Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer. McQueen wore a Tag Heuer in his 1971 racing movie, "Le Mans."
20. Whitney Houston, $9.5 million
Singer
Died: 2012, at age 48
Seven years after her death, Houston made the Forbes list for the first time in 2019 on the strength of an estate sale and her first gold-selling posthumous hit, "Higher Love," a remix masterminded by the DJ Kygo.
(TIE) 19. David Bowie, $10.5 million
Musician
Died: 2016, at age 69
Bowie's biggest year on the Forbes list was his first: 2016. The distinction came just months after the star died from cancer — and his final studio album, "Blackstar," posted big sales.
(TIE) 19. Paul Walker, $10.5 million
Actor
Died: 2013, at age 40
Walker cracked the Forbes list in 2015 on the strength of his estate's reputed take from the late actor's final "Fast and the Furious" film, "Furious 7."
(TIE) 17. Nipsey Hussle, $11 million
Musician
Died: 2019, at age 33
The Grammy-nominated rapper, born Ermias Asghedom, was in the prime of his career when he was slain on March 31, 2019. His catalog continued to post big sales in the months following his death.
(TIE) 17. Bettie Page, $11 million
Model
Died: 2008, at age 85
Licensing deals for "lingerie, bridal wear and handbag[s]" powered the pinup's estate to its biggest posthumous year in 2016, Forbes reported.
(TIE) 17. XXXTentacion, $11 million
Musician
Died: 2018, at age 20
Fatally shot just a few years into his career, the rapper, born Jahseh Onfroy, left behind a top-selling catalog that, to date, has led to two appearances on the Forbes list.
14. Albert Einstein, $11.5 million
Scientist
Died: 1955, at age 76
Having passed away a few months before James Dean, Einstein has been deceased longer than any other bold-faced name in this rundown. His estate rakes in millions from the licensing of his likeness. In the past decade, he scored his best showing on the 2016 Forbes list.
(TIE) 13. Hugh Hefner, $15 million
Publisher
Died: 2017, age 91
The sale of the remaining portion of his estate moved the Playboy founder onto the 2018 Forbes list.
(TIE) 13. Stieg Larsson, $15 million
Writer
Died: 2004, age 50
The Swedish author didn't live to see "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" or its sequels become best-sellers. In 2010, a year after the books were optioned by a Hollywood studio, Larsson was, per Forbes, the sixth-highest-earning dead celebrity.
11. John Lennon, $17 million
Musician
Died: 1980, at age 40
A mainstay of the Forbes list, the slain Beatle was never bigger in the past decade than in 2010. Forbes cited the release of "Gimme Some Truth," a box set of his solo work, for the earnings spike.
John Lennon: Come together
As with John Lennon's former bandmate George Harrison, the reissue of the Beatles' "Abbey Road" bolstered the music legend's estate. Lennon earned $14 million in 2019, per Forbes.
10. Dr. Seuss, $20 million
Writer/Illustrator
Died: 1991, at age 87
Another regular in the Forbes rankings, the creative force behind classics like "The Cat in the Hat," born Theodor Seuss Geisel, posted his biggest-earning posthumous year to date in 2016.
9. Bob Marley, $23 million
Musician
Died: 1981, at age 36
The earnings of the reggae icon's estate exploded in the 2010s, going from $4 million in 2007 to $23 million in 2018 and 2017, according to the Forbes rankings.
Bob Marley: Jamming
Per Forbes, the Bob Marley estate benefits from strong music-streaming numbers, and the sale of turntables and other items via the House of Marley brand.
8. Prince, $25 million
Musician
Died: 2016, at age 57
Prince has made the Forbes list every year since he died of an accidental overdose.
Purple reign
Forbes cited the 2.5 million album sales recorded in the wake of Prince's death as a main reason behind the icon's $25 million showing on its 2016 list of top-earning dead celebrities.
7. Marilyn Monroe, $27 million
Actor
Died: 1962, at age 36
The long-dead, but still-ubiquitous, bombshell earned $13 million in 2019, per Forbes, and hit a decade high of $27 million in 2011, a year after her estate was acquired by a new marketing company.
6. Arnold Palmer, $40 million
Athlete
Died: 2016, at age 87
According to Forbes, the estate for the late golfing great and pitchman pulled in $30 million in 2019 from deals with MasterCard, Rolex, Arizona Beverages and MolsonCoors. That's actually down from the decade-best $40 million that the Palmer brand netted in 2016 and 2017.
5. Charles Schulz, $48 million
Cartoonist
Died: 2000, at age 77
A fixture on the Forbes list since its 2001 inception, the creator of Charlie Brown and friends scored a posthumous-best take in 2016. The estate's bottom line was boosted by the 2015 big-screen entry, "The Peanuts Movie."
4. J. R. R. Tolkien, $50 million
Writer
Died: 1973, at age 81
The fantasy author only made the Forbes list once in the decade in 2010 — but it was a monster year for the long-dead Tolkien, thanks to the Hollywood deal to bring his Hobbit trilogy to the big screen (like his "Lord of the Rings" saga before it).
3. Elvis Presley, $60 million
Musician
Died: 1977, at age 42
More than 40 years after his death, Elvis Presley continues to loom large. The rocker's estate earned $39 million in 2019, per Forbes, down from a decade-high $60 million in 2010.
Elvis Presley: "Viva" in Las Vegas
The Presley estate's 2010 windfall was attributed, in part, to the debut of "Viva Elvis," an Elvis-themed Cirque du Soleil show. The show closed in Las Vegas in 2012.
2. Elizabeth Taylor, $210 million
Actor
Died: 2011, at age 79
The Oscar-winner ("Butterfield 8," "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?") hasn't appeared on a Forbes list since 2017, but her estate did very, very well in the first few years following her death.
Elizabeth Taylor: Going, going, gone
An auction of Elizabeth Taylor's jewelry, accessories, clothing and memorabilia helped net her estate $210 million in 2012.
1. Michael Jackson, $825 million
Musician
Died: 2009, at age 50
In life, the "Thriller" pop star was beset with financial troubles. In death, Jackson has topped every Forbes list of top-earning dead celebrities since 2013.
Michael Jackson: Say, say, say
Michael Jackson's biggest posthumous year to date was 2016, when Forbes reported that the star's estate earned nearly $1 billion from the partial sale of the Beatles-heavy Sony/ATV music publishing catalog.