Forbes Released Their Annual List of Highest-Earning Dead Celebrities

I've never considered tracking post-humous money earned by celebrities before. Apparently, Forbes does this every year. After reading this list, I've realized that when people talk about the legacy someone leaves behind, the amount of money a celebrity continues making after his/her death is a pretty darn good measure of it. Not that money is the end all be all. There's been plenty of great human beings who've left behind incredible legacies without continuing to make millions years after they pass. I'm sure of it. But on a grand scale, if you look at Forbes list of 13-highest earning dead celebrities, this is a remarkable group of people. It covers so many genres. All of these celebrities were, and still are, pillars of their respective fields. They shaped cultures. They changed the way people viewed... the world. Or at least dramatically altered the course about the industry in which they made their name. 

Anyways, here's Forbes list of the 13 highest-earning dead celebrities. Not really sure what the point of this blog is. Just gonna talk about them for bit because I thought the list was kinda interesting. 

1. Michael Jackson – $105M

- Michael Jackson's pop music was so god damn good it transcended the one universal rule of society that we've all agreed is... well... what I'm trying to say is, the man is widely considered to be a kid diddler and his music is still played in shopping malls across America. That's crazy. Maybe a kid diddler can get one hit song through (i.e. the Ignition Remix). But no one person has been able to overcome THAT in the way Michael Jackson has before. The man once danced on top of his car to a sea of adoring fans outside of his child sex trial. 

2. Dr. Seuss – $85M

- This was the most impressive one to me. Dr. Seuss making $85M in 2024 off children's books he wrote over half-a-century ago is crazy. He never even had kids. Imagine being the heir to the Seuss Fortune. It would be kinda fucked up if that person just lived in a regular modern mansion. If you've never had to work a day in your life because of Seuss money, your house better be full of shenanigans and whimsy. Although there was some kinda dark stuff going on with the Seuss family. 

3 & 4. Richard Wright & Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd) – $81M each

- Pink Floyd probably makes enough money each year in poster sales to feed their future families for generations. They could probably live off money made specifically from posters sold to college students who couldn't name you more than two Pink Floyd song. They just thought the poster with the asses was the perfect way to be both cultured and horny at the same time. 

5. Notorious B.I.G. – $80M

- This might be the least "influential" person on the list. Although to me, Notorious B.I.G.'s music holds up today better than anyone else from that era. So that makes sense. I liked when he wrote a whole rap about having sex with Anthony Mason's (New York Knicks player) wife.

6. Miles Davis – $21M

- Most well known by me for a joke from the Adam Sandler classic, Billy Madison. Also knew his way around a trumpet.

7. Elvis Presley – $17M

- He got so fat. Go to Google and type in "Fat Elvis" for some really upsetting images. 

Bettmann. Getty Images.

But everyone still wanted to fuck him. A true testament to mark he made on the world of music. 

8. Jimmy Buffett – $14M

- Dave Portnoy has said before that when he started Barstool, he semi-modeled it off of two people. Jimmy Buffett and Rob Dyrdek. Because they turned what they did (music, skateboards) into a whole lifestyle brand. People will work their whole lives so that someday they can fuck off and… live a Jimmy Buffett lifestyle (i.e. move to Florida and be alcoholics). I can think of plenty of worse ways to spend a retirement.

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9. Bob Marley – $13M

- Bob Marley sorta has the pot head version of what Jimmy Buffett has with the Parrot Heads. I feel like every high schooler who's ever smoked pot went through a brief Bob Marley phase. He was the first adult who ever told me (through headphones) that smoking weed is actually good. 16-year old me thought that was really chill. 

10. John Lennon – $12M

- Each member of The Beatles, even though they no longer own their catalog, is still getting $6M each year off their music. Good for Ringo Starr. 

11. Prince – $11M

- I used to not really understand the appeal of Prince. When he did the Super Bowl halftime show when I was a kid I wasn't impressed. Now when I go back and watch his Purple Rain guitar solo I think it's one of the coolest things I've ever seen.

12. Arnold Palmer – $11M

- I assume this is primarily Arizona Ice Tea money.

13. Kobe Bryant – $10M

- RIP Kobe. I believe this is primarily from shoe money. Which makes me think some day in the distant future Michael Jordan will probably top this list. He's still making hundreds of millions of dollars of shoes money every year. The Jordan brand is going to be here forever.