Michael Jackson tops Forbes list of highest-paid dead celebrities of 2023

Michael Jackson, the late king of pop, has topped the Forbes highest-paid dead celebrities of 2023 list with an estimated $115 million in earnings.

The list, which was released on Tuesday, Oct. 31, ranks the top 13 deceased celebrities based on their pretax earnings from sales, streams, licensing deals, and other sources of income between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023.

It also includes their estate acquisitions made or announced during the same period.

According to Forbes, the 13 deceased musicians, authors, and other A-listers on Forbes’ annual ranking of the highest-paid dead celebrities earned $470 million during the past 12 months, a 70% decrease from the record-breaking $1.6 billion grossed in 2022.

Michael Jackson returned to the No. 1 spot for the first time in four years with an estimated $115 million in earnings. He’s followed by his late father-in-law, Elvis Presley, at No. 2.

See the list below:

1. Michael Jackson – $115 million
2.  Elvis Presley – $100 million
3.  Ray Manzarek – $45 million
4.  Dr. Seuss – $40 million
5.  Charles M. Schulz – $30 million
6.  Prince – $30 million
7.  Whitney Houston – $30 million
8.  John Lennon – $22 million
9.  Bob Marley – $16 million
10. Bing Crosby – $14 million
11. George Harrison – $14 million
12. Arnold Palmer – $10 million
13. Marilyn Monroe – $10 million