Michael Jackson will always be the King of Pop. Now, the late singer has earned another distinction.
According to Forbes magazine, Jackson is the richest deceased celebrity; his estate is now worth $275 million. Jackson’s ranking is attributed to the earnings off last year’s theatre release of “This Is It,” the sales of a Jackson-themed video game and the re-release of an autobiography, the annual report concludes.
To make a spot on the 2010 Forbes list, a deceased celebrity needed to earn at least $5 million between Oct. 1, 2009 and Oct. 1, 2010.
Don’t expect Jackson’s earnings to slow anytime soon. Sony Music plans to drop unreleased recordings that will bring in approximately $200 million to Jackson’s estate.
At the time of Jackson’s June 25, 2009, death, the entertainer was approximately $500 million in debt.
Jackson’s former father in law, Elvis Presley, came in a distant second. The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll earned $60 million during the period.
Rounding out the list are “Lord of the Rings” author, J.R.R. Tolkien ($50 million), “Peanuts” creator Charles Schulz ($33 million), former Beatle John Lennon ($17 million), author Stieg Larsson ($15 million), “Dr. Seuss” Theodor Geisel ($11 million), scientist Albert Einstein ($10 million), Yankees owner George Steinbrenner ($8 million), songwriter Richard Rodgers ($7 million), guitarist Jimi Hendrix ($6 million) and actor Steve McQueen ($6 million).
