How does Michael Jackson continue to dominate the globe even after passing away?

Marcus Aureliusonce said, “A short, meaningful life is far more worthwhile than a long, insignificant one.” In today’s world, the worth of a person is often judged by how much they earn, amongst many other factors. For some legendary artists, there’s respect even after their demise.

An annually released list by Forbes discloses how much some stars earn even after passing away. Several celebrities, mostly actors, singers, writers, and painters, continue wealth generation in the form of royalties. The highest-paid amongst them earned $115 million in 2023 and $2.7 billion since their demise.

Highest-paid celebrity posthumously

Michael Jackson,widely known as the Prince of Pop, dominated global music in the 1980s and 1990s. Despite later controversies and his untimely shocking death in 2009, his influence has made an everlasting impact.

Jackson's estate continues to generate substantial income from his music royalties. A Forbes report listed that Jackson earned $115 million in 2023, surpassing Elvis Presley ($100 million) and Ray Manzarek of the Doors ($45 million).

How did it happen?

Since his passing, Jackson has topped Forbes' list 11 out of 15 times, consistently ranking as the highest-earning deceased celebrity worldwide. His estate has earnedover $2.7 billion since 2009, with a record-breaking $825 million in 2016 alone, largely due to the $750 million sale of his stake in the Sony/ATV Music Publishing catalogue.

The career of a legend

Michael Jackson's journey began in 1958. He rose to fame as part of the Jackson Five before launching his solo career at 13 in 1971. His landmark 1982 album Thriller lifted him to success like one would never imagine, making him the world's biggest star in the musical industry for the next two decades.