If the hugely successful opening of the new film This Is It is any indicator, then it’s safe to say that Michael Jackson continues to generate a lot of interest and money from fans even after his tragic death.
Fobes.com reports the King of Pop earned $90 million in the past year. About $72 million — or 80 percent of the $90 million Jackson earned in the past 12 months – was made after Jackson’s passing in June, according to a spokesperson for GreenLight, a consultancy company that represents “delebs,” their term for dead celebrities still earning money.
As a result, the music legend ranked third on Forbes’ list of dead celebrities who made the most money. The publication’s list covered money earned from October 2008 to October 2009. Fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent was the top moneymaker with $350 million and songwriting duo Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein ranked second with $235 million.
Others making the Forbes list was Elvis Presley ($55 million),The Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien ($50 million), Charles Schulz, John Lennon, Theodor Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss), Albert Einstein, Michael Crichton, Jimi Hendrix, Aaron Spelling and Andy Warhol.
1.