They were able to gain affluence and influence when alive, and are still raking in millions even in death, often surpassing the living. Thanks to factors such as the worldwide use of their films, faces, and franchises as well as album sales, they have been able to maintain their fortune even in the grave.
Forbes compiles the numbers with the help of data from Nielsen Music, IMDBPro and interviews with industry insiders. Fees for agents, managers and lawyers are not deducted. Check them out:
MICHAEL JACKSON: $60 million
There aren’t many living entertainers capable of clocking nine figures in a single year, but Michael Jackson did it eight times since his 2009 death. Most recently, he tallied an estimated $400 million pretax in 2018, bringing his postmortem total to $2.4 billion.
Jackson’s streaming surged, despite recent controversy: 2.1 billion U.S. spins, up from 1.8 billion a year ago. With proceeds flowing from his Mijac Music catalog, a Las Vegas show and a long-term deal with Sony, he retains his postmortem cash crown for the seventh consecutive year, according to Forbes.
His number has tumbled to $60 million in this year and he is still No. 1 on the list of top-earning dead celebrities.
BOB MARLEY: $20 million
Reggae icon, Robert Nesta Marley, did not die a poor man and his family escaped destitution, thanks to the wealth he left behind from his years of musical dexterity which shot him to global acclaim as one of the best musicians of all time.
The Jamaican reggae singer, songwriter, musician, and guitarist achieved international recognition and acclaim, serving as a world ambassador for reggae music and selling a million records throughout his career. He started out in 1963 with the group The Wailers, creating a distinctive songwriting and vocal style that resonated with many people globally.
With nearly 1 billion streaming spins in the U.S., the ubiquity of Marley’s music keeps his House of Marley products, including headphones, speakers and turntables, from going up in smoke.
PRINCE: $12 million
Prince Rogers Nelson was an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, dancer, actor, and filmmaker. With a career spanning five decades, Prince was known for his electric work and flamboyant stage appearances. He was also a multi-instrumentalist and regarded as a guitar virtuoso.
His self-titled second album found him expanding his sound in search of the mainstream success that his debut, For You failed to secure.
The Purple One continues to move music, including a robust 320,000 physical units and half a billion on-demand streams, an overall increase of 12% year-over-year.
NIPSEY HUSSLE: $11 million
Nipsey’s prescient focus on retaining the rights to his music monetized his 1.85 billion streams, third-most of any act on our list, at a greater rate than most artists dead or alive.
Rapper Nipsey Hussle purchased in South Los Angeles. He started his own clothing store called the Marathon to emphasize his long-term outlook.
No. 10 on Forbes’ annual list of the top-earning dead celebrities, Hussle earned $11 million in the past 12 months, a bigger annual haul than in any year he was alive. In just the U.S., the Grammy nominated rapper clocked 1.8 billion streams over the past 12 months, and his prescient insistence on maintaining control of his master recordings means more cash per spin than most stars in this world or the next.
XXXTENTACION: $10 million
The controversial rapper was known for his raw and daring style of music. Real name Jahseh Onfroy, the rapper shot to fame by releasing snippets and full versions of his songs on SoundCloud.
Within two years, he released several projects, both as a solo artiste and also as a member of the Members Only music group. In early 2017, the track “Look at Me!” became his first breakthrough hit.
For someone with a violent criminal history, even after a 27% drop in year-over-year consumption, the polarizing South Florida rapper remains the most-streamed dead celebrity in the U.S. with 5.6 billion spins.
XXXTENTACION: $10 million
The controversial rapper was known for his raw and daring style of music. Real name Jahseh Onfroy, the rapper shot to fame by releasing snippets and full versions of his songs on SoundCloud.
Within two years, he released several projects, both as a solo artiste and also as a member of the Members Only music group. In early 2017, the track “Look at Me!” became his first breakthrough hit.
For someone with a violent criminal history, even after a 27% drop in year-over-year consumption, the polarizing South Florida rapper remains the most-streamed dead celebrity in the U.S. with 5.6 billion spins.
