The Highest-Paid Celebrities Who Are Dead Now

Some celebrities continue earning long after their final performance, book, game, or public appearance.

That does not mean the person is personally earning money, of course. In most cases, the income goes to estates, heirs, companies, trusts, rights holders, or brand partners. The money often comes from music catalogs, publishing rights, streaming, licensing, merchandise, movies, Broadway shows, restaurants, museums, documentaries, and image rights.

Forbes has tracked the highest-paid dead celebrities for years. Its 2025 list ranked late stars based on estimated pretax earnings from the previous year, and musicians dominated the ranking.

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson remains the highest-paid dead celebrity, according to Forbes’ 2025 ranking.

The King of Pop’s estate earned an estimated $105 million in 2025, helped by music rights, licensing, stage productions, streaming, and the ongoing global demand for his catalog.

Jackson’s earning power is not surprising. His music still reaches new listeners, his videos remain part of pop history, and productions tied to his life and work keep his name in front of audiences. Even years after his death in 2009, his catalog remains one of the most commercially powerful in entertainment.

Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss, born Theodor Seuss Geisel, ranked second on Forbes’ 2025 list with estimated earnings of $85 million.

His books remain some of the most recognizable children’s titles in the world. The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, and Oh, the Places You’ll Go! continue to sell through schools, bookstores, gift markets, and family libraries.

The Seuss brand also earns through film, television, merchandise, stage adaptations, and licensing. That is why a children’s author who died in 1991 can still rank near the top of a celebrity earnings list.

Richard Wright

Richard Wright, the late keyboardist and founding member of Pink Floyd, appeared near the top of the 2025 list with estimated earnings of $81 million.

Wright’s income was tied to Pink Floyd’s continuing value as one of the most important rock bands in history. Their catalog includes albums such as The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall.

Catalog deals can create huge one-time earnings for estates and rights holders, and Pink Floyd’s music remains valuable because it still sells, streams, and licenses globally.

Syd Barrett

Syd Barrett, another founding member of Pink Floyd, also earned an estimated $81 million in Forbes’ 2025 ranking.

Barrett’s time in Pink Floyd was brief compared with the band’s later history, but his influence was huge. He helped shape the group’s early psychedelic sound and wrote or co-wrote several early songs before stepping away from the band.

His posthumous earnings reflect the continued value of Pink Floyd’s overall catalog and the lasting interest in the band’s origins.

The Notorious B.I.G.

The Notorious B.I.G., also known as Biggie Smalls, ranked fifth on Forbes’ 2025 list with estimated earnings of $80 million.

Biggie’s catalog remains one of the strongest in hip-hop history. Albums such as Ready to Die and Life After Death helped define East Coast rap in the 1990s and still influence artists today.

His estate earns through music, licensing, merchandise, documentaries, samples, and continued cultural interest. Because his career was cut short in 1997, his catalog is not huge compared with some artists, but its impact is enormous.

Miles Davis

Miles Davis earned an estimated $21 million in Forbes’ 2025 ranking.

Davis was one of the most important jazz musicians of the 20th century. His career moved through bebop, cool jazz, hard bop, modal jazz, fusion, and experimental work. Albums like Kind of Blue, Bitches Brew, and Sketches of Spain remain essential recordings.

His estate benefits from music rights, reissues, streaming, documentaries, books, licensing, and the constant use of his name in jazz education and culture.

Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley ranked seventh in 2025 with estimated earnings of $17 million.

Elvis has been a regular presence on highest-paid dead celebrity lists for years. His earnings come from music, merchandise, licensing, publishing, and the continued draw of Graceland in Memphis.

His image remains one of the most recognizable in popular culture: the jumpsuits, the voice, the stage moves, and the title “King of Rock and Roll” still carry global weight.

Jimmy Buffett

Jimmy Buffett ranked eighth on the 2025 list with estimated earnings of $14 million.

Buffett’s posthumous earning power is not only about music. His “Margaritaville” brand grew into a lifestyle business connected to restaurants, resorts, drinks, merchandise, cruises, and leisure culture.

Songs like “Margaritaville” and “Come Monday” built his fan base, but Buffett’s bigger business achievement was turning a beach-minded musical identity into a broad commercial world.

Bob Marley

Bob Marley earned an estimated $13 million in 2025.

Marley remains the most globally recognized reggae artist in history. Songs like “One Love,” “No Woman, No Cry,” “Redemption Song,” and “Three Little Birds” still reach listeners across languages, countries, and generations.

His estate benefits from music rights, merchandise, licensing, documentaries, film projects, apparel, and the cultural strength of the Marley name.

John Lennon

John Lennon ranked tenth on Forbes with estimated earnings of $12 million.

Lennon’s earning power comes from both his work with The Beatles and his solo career. His songs, image, writing, activism, and cultural identity remain deeply connected to the history of modern music.

The Beatles catalog remains one of the most valuable in the world, and Lennon’s solo work continues to sell and stream. His name also carries licensing and documentary value.

Prince

Prince earned an estimated $11 million in 2025, according to Forbes.

His catalog remains one of the richest in modern music, with songs such as “Purple Rain,” “When Doves Cry,” “Kiss,” “Raspberry Beret,” and “1999.” Prince was also known for writing, producing, arranging, and playing much of his own music.

Since his death in 2016, interest in his unreleased material, archive, estate management, and music rights has remained high.

Arnold Palmer

Arnold Palmer ranked twelfth with estimated earnings of $11 million.

Palmer was one of golf’s most beloved figures, but his posthumous earnings are not only about sports history. His name remains attached to licensing, apparel, memorabilia, golf-related branding, and the famous Arnold Palmer beverage: iced tea mixed with lemonade.

He helped turn athletes into mainstream commercial personalities long before modern endorsement culture became what it is today.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant rounded out the 2025 list with estimated earnings of $10 million.

Bryant’s legacy remains powerful across basketball, sneakers, sports culture, documentaries, books, and youth athletics. His “Mamba Mentality” phrase became a widely used shorthand for discipline, competitiveness, and relentless work.

After his death in 2020, Bryant’s influence continued through his NBA achievements, his storytelling projects, and the emotional connection fans still have with his career.

Featured Image : Instagram/michaeljackson