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For the second year in a row, Michael Jackson leads FORBES’ list of the top-earning dead celebrities, released last week. The King of Pop raked in a staggering $170 million over the past year, more than any living musical act besides U2.
So how many living stars does it take to equal a year of Jackson’s postmortem production? My colleague Dorothy Pomerantz and I broke it down visually in the Focus section of the latest issue of FORBES.
As it turns out, the combined earnings of Lady Gaga ($90 million), Justin Bieber ($53 million), Eminem ($14 million) and Kate Moss ($13 million) add up to exactly one Michael Jackson ($170 million).
The Gloved One has earned roughly half a billion dollars since his death in the summer of 2009, thanks to aggressive deal-making by his estate’s executors–most notably a $250 million pact with Sony for ten musical projects over the next seven years and another $60 million for the rights to the film This Is It.
DVD sales, licensing fees and royalties from Jackson’s own Mijac Music each add double-digit millions to his annual take. His most valuable asset is a 50% stake in the Sony/ATV music catalog; Jackson’s share still throws off $50 million to $75 million per year.
Next up: the Cirque du Soleil-backed Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour. The show has already sold $40 million in tickets and grosses an average of $2.5 million per night, according to concert data provider Pollstar. For those keeping score, that’s a full $1 million more per show than Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, or Eminem.
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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
Source : Forbes, bolding by Leitao on OhNoTheyDidnt
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