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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsMichael Jackson’s estate topped Forbes’ 2025 list of the highest-earning deceased celebrities, with an estimated $105 million in pretax earnings. The figures cover October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025, and include certain estate acquisitions announced or made during that period—so they reflect more than recurring royalties and are not amounts personally received by heirs.
How Forbes calculated the 2025 estimates
Forbes’ ranking measures estimated pretax earnings from sales, streams, licensing and other sources between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025. It also includes estate acquisitions made or announced in that window. Forbes says it used Luminate data and interviews with industry insiders, and did not deduct agent, manager or lawyer fees. These are not audited net-income figures or a ledger of cash distributed to beneficiaries. Forbes Australia’s 2025 ranking estimates $541 million combined for all 13 people it lists.
That distinction matters: a rights sale can lift a one-year estimate sharply, while another estate may draw more heavily on recurring royalties or a continuing consumer brand. The ranking does not provide a complete, audited revenue breakdown for each estate, and the gross sales of a licensed product should not be mistaken for the estate’s earnings.
The 10 highest-earning deceased celebrities in Forbes’ 2025 ranking
| Rank | Celebrity | Estimated pretax earnings | What Forbes identifies as a revenue source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Jackson | $105 million | Music rights and royalties, plus MJ: The Musical and the Michael Jackson ONE residency. |
| 2 | Dr. Seuss | $85 million | Books, character licensing and Netflix partnerships. |
| 3 (tie) | Richard Wright | $81 million | Songwriting royalties and the reported Pink Floyd rights transaction with Sony Music Publishing. |
| 4 (tie) | Syd Barrett | $81 million | The same reported Pink Floyd rights transaction; Forbes notes Barrett’s songwriting credits on more than a dozen band songs. |
| 5 | The Notorious B.I.G. | $80 million | A reported sale of half of his catalog, publishing and name, image and likeness rights to Primary Wave. |
| 6 | Miles Davis | $21 million | A reported acquisition of 90% of Davis’ estate by Reservoir Media, alongside centennial performances and a planned biopic. |
| 7 | Elvis Presley | $17 million | Graceland tourism, licensing and remaining publishing rights. |
| 8 | Jimmy Buffett | $14 million | The Margaritaville brand, spanning restaurants, apparel, resorts and a cruise line, as well as Buffett-inspired retirement communities. |
| 9 | Bob Marley | $13 million | A Las Vegas live show and licensed products, including audio equipment, coffee, fragrances, pillows, tote bags and posters. |
| 10 | John Lennon | $12 million | Forbes’ ranking estimate for the year. Lennon’s solo-music rights and the separate Beatles name, image and likeness earnings are discussed below. |
All amounts in the table are Forbes estimates for October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025. They are not directly comparable to a recurring royalty payment: the ranking includes acquisitions and rights transactions in its measurement window.
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Why these estates and brands earn money
Music rights can generate royalties—or a one-time surge
Jackson’s estate sold Sony a 50% stake in his master recordings and publishing rights for $600 million in 2024. Forbes says the estate negotiated a larger share of worldwide royalties on the music rights it retained. The ranking also points to the musical and Las Vegas residency as sources of ongoing commercial activity. Jackson’s place at the top therefore reflects a mix of rights economics and entertainment ventures, not simply a yearly royalty check.
For Richard Wright and Syd Barrett, Forbes ties the $81 million estimates to the October 2024 Pink Floyd rights transaction with Sony Music Publishing and songwriting royalties. Forbes reports the deal at $400 million. The ranking does not provide a full breakdown of how much of each man’s estimate came from the transaction versus royalties.
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The Notorious B.I.G.’s position similarly reflects a rights deal: Forbes reports that 50% of his catalog, publishing and name, image and likeness rights were sold to Primary Wave in March. Miles Davis’ ranking includes Reservoir Media’s reported acquisition of 90% of his estate, alongside performances and a planned biopic. These transactions can make a particular year unusually lucrative in Forbes’ estimate, but they do not establish that the same earnings will recur annually.
Books, characters and branded products reach audiences beyond music
Forbes, citing Circana, says 4.8 million Dr. Seuss books sold in the United States in 2024. The writer’s characters also support licensing, and Forbes points to Netflix partnerships. Those different uses help explain why a literary estate can rank alongside music catalogs.
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Buffett’s Margaritaville business extends his name into restaurants, apparel, resorts, cruises and retirement communities. Marley’s licensing reaches products from audio equipment and coffee to fragrances and home goods, while a Las Vegas show adds a live-entertainment channel. The ranking names these as revenue sources but does not disclose how much of the final estimate each generated or how much went to the estate.
Tourism and established brands keep Elvis visible
Elvis Presley’s earnings are linked to Graceland tourism, licensing and remaining publishing rights. Forbes says the Presley family owns 15% of Elvis Presley Enterprises; Authentic Brands Group controls and manages the rest. This illustrates why a celebrity’s commercial presence does not necessarily mean the family or estate owns every related business or receives all of its proceeds.
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John Lennon’s ranking figure is not the same as a separate Beatles earnings figure
Forbes reports that each Beatles member receives nearly $6 million a year in name, image and likeness earnings, and that Yoko Ono owns the rights to Lennon’s solo music. The nearly $6 million figure is a separately reported annual amount, not the same measure as Lennon’s $12 million estimate in the 2025 ranking. Treating the two as interchangeable would conflate different figures and rights.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What “still making millions” means—and what it does not
- It means commercial earnings tied to a deceased person’s work or brand. Royalties, licensing, books, live entertainment, tourism and rights transactions can all contribute.
- It does not mean the celebrity personally earns money after death. Rights holders, estates, business partners and licensees may participate in the revenue, with ownership varying by person and asset.
- It does not mean the entire estimate is recurring. Forbes includes certain rights acquisitions in the measurement period, and those can materially affect a year’s ranking.
- It does not mean heirs receive the stated amount. Forbes’ pretax estimates do not subtract fees for agents, managers and lawyers, and they are not a report of distributions to beneficiaries.
Forbes also lists Prince at $11 million, Arnold Palmer at $11 million and Kobe Bryant at $10 million, placing them outside the first ten entries used here. It estimates Palmer’s signature iced tea and lemonade generate $200 million in annual product sales; that is product sales value, not Palmer’s estate earnings.
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