Michael Jackson Named 2025’s Highest-Paid Dead Celebrity
Michael Jackson Named 2025’s Highest-Paid Dead Celebrity – Michael Jackson continues to prove that legends never die.
According to Forbes, the late King of Pop has been crowned the highest-paid dead celebrity of 2025, with an astonishing US$105 million in earnings this year alone.
Jackson’s estate has reportedly generated over US$3.5 billion since his death in 2009 — boosted recently by the US$600 million sale of a 50% stake in his music catalog to Sony Music.
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His legacy continues through projects like MJ: The Musical, which has grossed nearly US$300 million worldwide, and the Las Vegas residency “Michael Jackson ONE”, now extended to 2030.
A new biopic titled Michael, starring his nephew Jaafar Jackson, is set to premiere in April 2026, expected to spark another global wave of fan interest.
Top-Earning Dead Celebrities of 2025 (Forbes):
1 Michael Jackson ≈ US$105 million His estate remains far ahead in posthumous earnings.
2 Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) ≈ US$85 million Driven by book sales, licensing, and related IP.
3 Richard Wright & Syd Barrett (tied) ≈ US$81 million each Both Pink Floyd members entered the list after major catalog deals.
5 The Notorious B.I.G. ≈ US$80 million Strong debut on the list due to rights/estate moves.
