Top-Earning Dead Celebrities

Neil · Post by **Neil** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 8:34 am

They're famous across the globe. Their work is treasured by millions. And they're rolling in cash--they just can't spend any of it.

The 13 members of our annual Highest-Earning Dead Celebrities list brought in a collective $186 million in the last year. They, or more accurately, their estates, earned that money by selling their work--both written and recorded--or just the rights to use their likenesses on T-shirts, posters or in advertisements. Sometimes their life stories themselves are worth something: Musician Ray Charles makes the list for the first time this year, in part because of income related to his 2004 biopic. Johnny Cash, who also makes his first appearance this year, has his own movie out in November.

The Lucky 13

1.Elvis Presley
2.Charles M. Schulz
3.John Lennon
4.Andy Warhol
5.Theodore "Dr. Seuss" Geisel
6.Marlon Brando
7.Marilyn Monroe
8.J.R.R. Tolkien
9.George Harrison
10.Johnny Cash
11.Irving Berlin
12.Bob Marley
13.Ray Charles

Post by **arnab** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 12:45 pm

what about 2 Pac? I think he sold more albums after he died than when he was alive

rawfin · Post by **rawfin** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 12:45 pm

bob marley's songs rock!

Post by **GTI VR6** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 1:43 pm

Kurt Cobain?
Walt Disney?

Post by **arnab** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 2:49 pm

Jim Morrison

Neil · Post by **Neil** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 1:36 am

arnab wrote:what about 2 Pac? I think he sold more albums after he died than when he was alive

I thought about that as well, but Frobs didn't list him.*weired*

Neil · Post by **Neil** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 1:43 am

GTI VR6 wrote:Kurt Cobain?
Walt Disney?

I think Disney falls into corporate earnings. But Kurt Kobain should be in the list. But what i think, Kurt Kobains wife Kortney Love handels all the Nirvana deals after Kobain's death. Thank God, that I still don't see either Kobain's or Nirvana's pics or logo on a water bottle or back packs like other dead artists. So Kobai's fourtunes still growing by selling his unreleised tracks. So that might be the reason why his earnings didn't included in the list of 2005-06.

Neil · Post by **Neil** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 7:20 am

New List by Forbes, 2006.

Lucky 13

Kurt Cobain
Elvis Presley
Charles M. Schulz
John Lennon
Albert Einstein
Andy Warhol
Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel)
Ray Charles
Marilyn Monroe
Johnny Cash
J.R.R. Tolkien
George Harrison
Bob Marley

Finally Kurt Cobain and he's on the top.

goneheLL · Post by **goneheLL** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 7:39 am

nice info!

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