Michael Jackson is Named the Top Earning Dead Celebrity

A year after his death at the age of 51, Michael Jackson records are still selling as strongly as ever, and a survey by Forbes magazine has ranked him as the top earning dead celebrity in the world.

Not only is Michael Jackson the top earning dead celebrity in the world, his earnings are more than the next eleven in line combined, with a huge $275 million earnings.

The top five dead celebrities with the most earnings follow Michael Jackson with Elvis Presley ($60 million), author of "The Hobbit" and "Lord Of The Rings" J.R.R. Tolkien ($50 million), Charles Schultz the creator of "Peanuts" ($33 million) and John Lennon ($17 million).

Given the deep debt that Michael Jackson was in prior to his death, he is obviously better off financially these days, since he doesn't have the ability to spend his earnings on frivolous fancies, such as a personal theme park, and weekly plastic surgery appointments.

I wonder if John Lennon is not turning in his grave, wondering how someone who turned whiter than most white people, spoke like a 3 year old, and whose nose is still reputed to be on life support at a Chicago hospital, can be earning 16 times more than him after his death.

The author also ponders if his own income and debt problems might go away if he were to kick the bucket, but at the same time he is hoping he doesn't have to put this to the test any time soon.

Sources:

E Online