Every year at the end of October, Forbes gets into the Halloween mood and releases a list of the richest dead celebrities. After all, even if the person himself is no longer in the world, his creations (books, paintings, musical works, etc.) continue to regularly bring income to the heirs. This is what the top ten most profitable of the deceased stars look like in 2017.
10. Albert Einstein
Condition - 10 million dollars.
Even being in the "next world" physicist Albert Einstein managed to earn a tidy sum this year. His face can be seen on a variety of products, from posters and mobile games to talking robots and fancy bags.
9. John Lennon
Condition - 12 million dollars.
37 years after the death of the singer and composer, murdered in New York, his name is still profitable through music sales on iTunes, the Beatles show at Cirque du Soleil, and through licensing deals with Cisco and Montblanc. Lennon's killer, Mark David Chapman, was recently denied parole for the ninth time.
8. Dr. Seuss
Condition - $ 16 million.
Strong book sales helped Theodor Geisel (that is Dr. Seuss's real name) to be one of the top deceased celebrities with the highest earnings in 2017. Children in English-speaking countries learn to read from Dr. Seuss' books, and his book Places Where You Go is often given to schoolchildren at graduation parties.
7. Prince
Condition - 18 million dollars.
The singer and musician, who died in April 2016 of an accidental opioid overdose, could have made a lot more posthumously if the Prince's heirs' $ 31 million deal with Universal Music Group hadn't fallen through. As it turned out, the agreement does not include the transfer of rights to use the songs of the singer until 1996.
6. Tom Petty
Condition - $ 20 million.
American rock musician Tom Petty, who recently passed away on October 2, was named among the "dead millionaires" thanks to the income received from his group's spring / summer tour. It ended on September 25th.
5. Bob Marley
Condition - 23 million dollars.
The Jamaican reggae superstar was able to earn $ 23 million in just one year after her death, thanks to the revenues from the sale of music records, products under the House of Marley brand and various teas, coffee drinks and soda under the Marley Beverage Co.
4. Elvis Presley
Condition - 35 million dollars.
Presley entered the list of the richest deceased stars of 2017 with $ 35 million, while in 2016 his posthumous fortune was $ 27 million. The King's income was boosted by two new developments on the Graceland Estate in Memphis: The Guest House and the Elvis Presley Entertainment Complex. More than 6 million visitors visit Graceland every year.
3. Charles Schultz
Condition - 38 million dollars.
Peanuts comic book creator Charles Schultz was ranked third in the list of the richest of deceased celebrities, thanks to a lucrative license for Snoopy's puppy (a symbol of the insurance company MetLife), as well as sales of books, comics and various products that depict characters created by Schultz.
2. Arnold Palmer
Condition - 40 million dollars.
In second place in the top 10 richest deceased celebrities of 2017 is golf icon Arnold Palmer.His $ 40 million fortune comes mainly from the sale of branded apparel named after the famous golfer and the AriZona Arnold Palmer beverage line.
1. Michael Jackson
Condition - 75 million dollars.
As in last year's rankingMichael Jackson is the top earner on the list of superstars who have already died. According to Forbes, the singer's impressive wealth comes from the recent CBS animated Michael Jackson Halloween show, the King of Pop Cirque du Soleil show and the successful sales of his latest greatest hits album, Scream, and a stake in EMI Music.
Figures provided by Forbes are based on pretax celebrity income received between October 15, 2016 and October 15, 2017. Forbes sources include Nielsen SoundScan, IMDB, Pollstar Pro, and interviews with real estate experts.