Last year ELVIS jumped back up the Forbes charts to become #2 Top-Earning Dead Celebrity but this year he has taken a bad hit, dropping down to Number 5 but still earning an easy $23 million without getting out of bed.
Michael Jackson again tops Forbes magazine's annual list of the highest-earning deceased celebrities but with an estimated of $48 million income, a drop of 12mill from last year, with his Music catalog (which includes Elvis and Aretha Franklin!) and a long-term Sony deal accounting for more than 70% of his earnings.
Dr. Seuss gets #2 thanks to a series of seven-figure TV and film deals with books still Dr. Seuss’ biggest income stream earns $33 million.
Charlie Brown & Snoopy creator Charles Schulz stays at #3, while Arnold Palmer also holds at #4 with his Arizona Beverages deal bringing in millions.
Elvis' income was truly hit by the coronavirus as Graceland closed for two months this year and is now operating at reduced capacity with earnings dropping by millions.
Sadly, there are also young newcomers to the list 21-year-old rapper Juice WRLD (No. 7) who died December 2019 earned $15 million and NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash in January, is ranked No. 6, having earned $20 million.
The top ten also featured Bob Marley with $14 million, John Lennon $13 million and Prince with $10 million.
Forbes magazine Top-Earning Dead Celebrities 2020.
1. Michael Jackson $48 million (down from $60m)
2. Dr. Seuss $33 million (up from $19m)
3. Charles Schulz ('Peanuts' creator) $32.5 million.
4. Arnold Palmer $25 million.
5. Elvis Presley $23 million (down from $39m)
6. Kobe Bryant $20 million,
7. Juice WRLD $15mill,
8. Bob Marley $14mill,
9. John Lennon $13mill,
10. Prince $10mill.
11. Freddie Mercury with $9 million,
12. George Harrison $8.5mill and
13. the great Marilyn Monroe $8 million.
As Gore Vidal once noted, "Death is a good career move"!