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James Dean once said: “If a man can bridge the gap between life and death, if he can live on after he’s dead, then maybe he was a great man.” Many deceased celebrities are gone but not forgotten. Their music, movies or books still generate tons of revenues. Earning money does not always stop when life does. Forbes compiled the list of the highest earning dead celebrities of 2015. Even though they are no longer around, these celebrities all make more money than you.
13. James Dean ($8.5 million)
James Dean is still an icon 60 years after his death. The American actor,who died in a car crash at the age of 24, made $8.5 million last year. Believe it or not, his image still generates revenues from brands like Dolce & Gabbana.
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12. Steve McQueen ($9 million)
McQueen’s estate made $9 million over the past year. The actor’s image is still used by Barbour and by Tag Heuer. McQueen died of cancer associated with asbestos exposure.
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11. Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) ($9.5 million)
Better known as Dr. Seuss, Theodor Geisel wrote and illustrated 44 children’s books. In 2015, his royalty revenues and film adaptations totalled $9.5 million. Geisel’s first book was published after 27 publishers had rejected the manuscript. Talk about persistence.
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10. Bettie Page ($10 million)
Bettie Page continues to seduce people. Page made $10 million this year from selling merchandise including dresses, swimwear and lingerie.
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9. Paul Walker ($10.5 million)
Paul Walker is gone but not forgotten. The actor who died in a tragic accident two years ago, made $10.5 million mostly from The Fast and the Furious 7 movie.
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8. Albert Einstein ($11 million)
The man behind the theory of relativity made $11 million this year. These revenues were generated from merchandise sales. Einstein is considered to be one of the few people who were ahead of their time.
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7. John Lennon ($12 million)
John Lennon was a member of the Beatles, the most commercially successful band in the history of popular music. Lennon was shot and killed in 1980 after returning from the recording studio. This year, Lennon’s estate made $13 million from his music catalogue.
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6. Marilyn Monroe ($17 million)
Monroe died from an overdose at the age of 36 in 1962, yet she still is an iconic feature. The model and actress made $17 million in the past year. The Smithsonian included Monroe on the list of 100 Most Significant Americans of All Time.
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5. Elizabeth Taylor ($20 million)
Four years after her death, Elizabeth Taylor’s estate is still generating money. The actress made $20 million over the past year. Taylor is famous for publicly speaking up against the war in Iraq.
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4. Bob Marley ($21 million)
Bob Marley’s last words to his son Ziggi were: “money can’t buy life”. The King of Reggae died 34 years ago and continues to make money from merchandising, music sales, the House of Marley speaker brand, and the Marley Beverage Company.
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3. Charles Schulz ($40 million)
Charles Schulz was the creator of Peanuts, a comic strip that was published daily in 2,600 papers in 75 countries and in 21 languages. He made $40m in the past year from his comic strips. Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie, is scheduled to be released on November 6th, 2015.
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2. Elvis Presley ($55 million)
Elvis Presley passed away in 1977 at the young age of 42. His music catalog is so large that he is still earning good money. Over the past year, Elvis Presley made $55 million.
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1. Michael Jackson ($115 million)
The King of Pop remains the highest-earning dead celebrity. This year, Jackson appeared in a hologram performance at the Billboard Music Award and his second posthumous album, Xscape, was released. He became the first artist in history to have a top ten single in the Billboard Hot 100 in five different decades when his hit single Love Never Felt So Good reached number nine on May 21, 2014.
SEE ALSO: Drake Achieved Something That Only 4 Musicians Have Ever Done.
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