Top-Earning Dead Celebrities
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:57 pm
By Forbes.com
The 13 icons on Forbes' sixth annual Top-Earning Dead Celebrities list collectively earned $247 million in the past 12 months. Their estates continue to make money by inking deals involving both their work and the rights to use their name and likenesses on merchandise and marketing campaigns. To land on this year's list, a star needed to make at least $7 million between October 2005 and October 2006.
No. 1, Kurt Cobain
Earnings: $50 million
Occupation: musician
Died: April 5, 1994
Age: 27
Cause of death: suicide
No. 2, Elvis Presley
Earnings: $42 million
Occupation: musician
Died: Aug. 16, 1977
Age: 42
Cause of death: heart attack
No. 3, Charles M. Schulz
Earnings: $35 million
Occupation: cartoonist
Died: Feb. 12, 2000
Age: 77
Cause of death: cancer
No. 4, John Lennon
Earnings: $24 million
Occupation: musician
Died: Dec. 8, 1980
Age: 40
Cause of death: murder
No. 5, Albert Einstein
Earnings: $20 million
Occupation: scientist
Died: April 18, 1955
Age: 76
Cause of death: natural causes
No. 6, Andy Warhol
Earnings: $19 million
Occupation: artist
Died: Feb 22, 1987
Age: 58
Cause of death: complications of a gallbladder operation
No. 7, Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel)
Earnings: $10 million
Occupation: author
Died: Sept. 24, 1991
Age: 87
Cause of death: natural causes
No. 8, Ray Charles
Earnings: $10 million
Occupation: musician
Died: June 10, 2004
Age: 73
Cause of death: liver disease
No. 9, Marilyn Monroe
Earnings: $8 million
Occupation: actress
Died: Aug. 5, 1962
Age: 36
Cause of death: overdose of sleeping pills
No. 10, Johnny Cash
Earnings: $8 million
Occupation: musician
Died: Sept. 12, 2003
Age: 71
Cause of death: complications of diabetes
No. 11, J.R.R. Tolkien
Earnings: $7 million
Occupation: author
Died: Sept. 2, 1973
Age: 81
Cause of death: bleeding ulcer
No. 12, George Harrison
Earnings: $7 million
Occupation: musician
Died: Nov. 29, 2001
Age: 58
Cause of death: cancer
No. 13, Bob Marley
Earnings: $7 million
Occupation: musician
Died: May 11, 1981
Age: 36
Cause of death: cancer
The 13 icons on Forbes' sixth annual Top-Earning Dead Celebrities list collectively earned $247 million in the past 12 months. Their estates continue to make money by inking deals involving both their work and the rights to use their name and likenesses on merchandise and marketing campaigns. To land on this year's list, a star needed to make at least $7 million between October 2005 and October 2006.
No. 1, Kurt Cobain
Earnings: $50 million
Occupation: musician
Died: April 5, 1994
Age: 27
Cause of death: suicide
No. 2, Elvis Presley
Earnings: $42 million
Occupation: musician
Died: Aug. 16, 1977
Age: 42
Cause of death: heart attack
No. 3, Charles M. Schulz
Earnings: $35 million
Occupation: cartoonist
Died: Feb. 12, 2000
Age: 77
Cause of death: cancer
No. 4, John Lennon
Earnings: $24 million
Occupation: musician
Died: Dec. 8, 1980
Age: 40
Cause of death: murder
No. 5, Albert Einstein
Earnings: $20 million
Occupation: scientist
Died: April 18, 1955
Age: 76
Cause of death: natural causes
No. 6, Andy Warhol
Earnings: $19 million
Occupation: artist
Died: Feb 22, 1987
Age: 58
Cause of death: complications of a gallbladder operation
No. 7, Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel)
Earnings: $10 million
Occupation: author
Died: Sept. 24, 1991
Age: 87
Cause of death: natural causes
No. 8, Ray Charles
Earnings: $10 million
Occupation: musician
Died: June 10, 2004
Age: 73
Cause of death: liver disease
No. 9, Marilyn Monroe
Earnings: $8 million
Occupation: actress
Died: Aug. 5, 1962
Age: 36
Cause of death: overdose of sleeping pills
No. 10, Johnny Cash
Earnings: $8 million
Occupation: musician
Died: Sept. 12, 2003
Age: 71
Cause of death: complications of diabetes
No. 11, J.R.R. Tolkien
Earnings: $7 million
Occupation: author
Died: Sept. 2, 1973
Age: 81
Cause of death: bleeding ulcer
No. 12, George Harrison
Earnings: $7 million
Occupation: musician
Died: Nov. 29, 2001
Age: 58
Cause of death: cancer
No. 13, Bob Marley
Earnings: $7 million
Occupation: musician
Died: May 11, 1981
Age: 36
Cause of death: cancer
