A lot of focus these days is on the riches that celebrities have. And, it’s true, many of them have untold wealth and continue to rack up the cash. However, plenty of celebrities have passed but continue to earn big bucks in the afterlife.
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson, often dubbed the King of Pop, is one of the most iconic music artists of all time. After being a member of the hit band the Jackson 5, the Indiana-born superstar went on to achieve unrivalled success on a global scale. Not without controversy, Jackson passed aged 50 on June 25 2009, but since making it to the afterlife, it’s believed his yearly earnings are in the region of a stunning £70,000,000. So, that means his estate is currently generating more than £1,000,000 per week. Michael Jackson may be the King of Pop, but he’s also the king of earning in the afterlife, according to stats complied courtesy of PartyCasino.
Elvis Presley
From one iconic musician to another, Elvis Presley is on the same level as Michael Jackson when it comes to his status in the music industry and popular culture. While Jackson was the King of Pop, Presley was fittingly dubbed the King of Rock and Roll. And while there is the similarity of both men being referred to as kings of their chosen genres of music, they also share another similarity: earning millions in the afterlife. It’s pretty ironic how Presley sang Viva Las Vegas in 1964, a track inspired by casinos, because his estate has undoubtedly hit the jackpot with annual earnings of over £40,000,000.
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl is one of the most successful children’s book authors of all time. He penned stories such as James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The Witches, The BFG and many more. And, as you will expect, because of how popular Dahl’s work remains today, with many of his stories being recreated as movies and TV shows, he’s been able to continue generating the millions. The Cardiff-born author is one of the top earners of the last decade, raking in a stunning half a billion. He’s right up there with Michael Jackson in terms of earnings in the afterlife, and his pay packet will only continue to grow.
Bob Marley
Bob Marley was more than a musician. He was very much a pioneer of musical genres such as reggae and ska. Born in Jamaica and always keen to embrace his roots, Marley had hits as part of Bob Marley and the Wailers before going on to become a legendary artist in his own right. Unfortunately for those influenced by Marley’s take on music, he passed young at just thirty-six, but his work has lived on and paved the way for many more artists. And, as Marley is still seen as an icon in music and Rastafarianism, he rakes in close to £20,000,000 per annum.
Prince
Prince is a musician who managed to transcend multiple generations with his sounds. But, what also made Prince an artist of his time was his persona and legendary vocal range. He may have, at one stage, been referred to as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince, but one thing is for sure, he’s currently known as one of the highest earning deceased musicians, with a yearly income topping £100,000,000. The Purple Rain singer is still adored to this day by his loyal supporters, six years after his untimely death in April 2016 at the age of 57.
Charles Schulz
Some people reading this may not have heard of Charles Schulz, but they’ll have certainly seen his work. Schulz is the man behind characters such as Charlie Brown and Snoopy, amongst others, and is renowned for being one of the greatest cartoonists ever to live. What’s also telling about Schulz, who died aged 77 in 2000, is that the likes of Dav Pilkey, Jim Davis, Matt Groening and Bill Watterson have all cited him as a key source of inspiration for their work. Schulz’s cartoons and animations live on to the tune of over £30,000,000 per year.
Bing Crosby
During Bing Crosby’s heyday, it’s fair to say that if you were a musician, you stuck to music. And if you were an actor, you stuck to acting. However, Crosby, who passed in 1977, was the person to break the mould and become what was then known as a multimedia star. Not only was Crosby a hit on the music scene, breaking record sales figures, with more than 1,600 tracks recorded. He appeared in over seventy movies too. And you could also argue that Crosby paved the way for many more to make the crossover. With so much work to his name, it’s no surprise he earns close to £30,000,000 per annum.
Arnold Palmer
We finish our list of celebrities earning serious money in the afterlife with the only inclusion of a sports star. Arnold Palmer, nicknamed The King, is regarded as one of the sport’s greatest ever players. And what set Palmer apart was that he was a sportsman who also became a celebrity. It was a crossover not many had made before, especially from the golfing world, but Palmer changed all that and became somewhat of a trailblazer. Since his passing in 2016 at the age of 87, the King’s estate has continued to rake in millions of pounds per year.
Celebrities are always going to earn money, and as you can see from those above, they continue to do so at a rapid rate in the afterlife. However, for that to be the case, as seen with those mentioned, there has to be work that can transcend generations, such as music, films, TV, animations and stories. When this is the case, it can see a celeb making millions per year, which has proven beneficial to their loved ones and to causes close to their heart.
