Michael Jackson
The King of Pop himself, Michael
Jackson’s death because of an accidental overdose in 2009 caught us all
by surprise. A lot of us feel that he had, to quote a song of his, gone
too soon. He still owns the
biggest selling album of all time, Thriller, with sales reaching up to
110 million copies worldwide. As a matter of fact, three of the top 15
all time best selling albums belong to the Jacko. Millions of dollars
are piled into the iconic singer’s yearly take even after his death,
thereby adding to his already considerable $170 million estate.
Elvis Presley
Before Michael Jackson became the King
of Pop, the world had already witnessed the King of Rock and Roll in
Elvis Presley. Yes, Elvis of the dangerously swaying hips whose daughter
was once married to Jackson himself. Talk about keeping it in the
family! The Heartbreak Hotel singer and actor died in 1977 of a heart
attack. Die-hard fans, to this day, still lap up any Elvis-related
merchandise however. Along with the earnings from his Graceland home,
licensing for Elvis products has brought in an additional $55 million to
his heirs.
Marilyn Monroe
She sang the sexiest happy birthday
song to one of the most beloved presidents of the United States, the
same man she was rumored to have had an affair with. Marilyn Monroe died
in 1962 at the young age of 36 because of an overdose. By leaving us in
her prime, our view of Marilyn as a sexy vixen will never change.
Rights to her iconic image are still hot property, with perfumes and
cafes with the Marilyn Monroe brand being planned and peddled. Fifty
years after she passed away, she is still earning $27 million, more than
enough to buy her diamonds that were her best friends.
Charles Schulz
In 1950, Charles Schulz created
Peanuts, the comic strip that brought us characters like Charlie Brown,
Lucy, Linus and Snoopy. Fast-forward to 2012, and these characters still
have more than 1,200 licensing agreements with various companies. With
the advent of the digital age, Peanuts is slowly being transformed into
video games, e-books and online comics. Charlie Brown was such a loser
in life and the baseball diamond, but Charles Schulz is a $25 million
winner even in death.
John Lennon
Despite the
acrimonious split, being a Beatle sure paid off. Just a couple of years
ago, their albums were finally included in iTunes, resulting into sales
amounting to the tenth best of any artist. Not bad for a group that
disbanded in 1970. Licensing deals with Mont Blanc and Cisco and
royalties from Cirque du Soleil also contributed to the $12 million
Lennon has earned since his death in 1980.
Elizabeth Taylor
Glamour will never be the same again,
not after Elizabeth Taylor died in 2011. But for her heirs, it’s as if
she never really left. Her perfume line has brought in a hefty $12
million to the coffers. Her belongings will be auctioned off, with
proceeds estimated to be around $30 million. And we’re not even talking
about her image license yet.
Albert Einstein
Nerd rules! Albert Einstein still
rakes in around $10 million for his image’s use in Disney, Chrysler, AJ
Morgan and Nintendo. Hanging out with the smart kid will bring in the
big bucks!
Theodor Geisel
Dr. Seuss never had it so good.
Theodor Geisel named it after his mother’s maiden name, and this
collection of books he authored is still packing it in. Geisel died in
1991, but a new book was recently discovered and published, meaning his
heirs would most likely have more than the $9 million he has already
earned after his death. His work is licensed with Hallmark, Leapfrog and
Universal Studios.
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix’s rendition of the
Star-Spangled Banner in Woodstock in 1969 still gets attention. So does
the rest of his songs, with one of it being used for an HP campaign, and
more DVDs being released for fans of this great guitarist who died way
too early. He still lives through his music, epitomized by $7 million in
sales from 1970 until now.
Stieg Larsson
Author of The Millennium Trilogy,
Stieg Larsson died before his books got published. With more than 40
million copies sold and translated into 44 languages, The Girl with the
Dragon Tattoo has made its author The Guy with $7 million. There will
be even more once all the film versions have wrapped up.
Steve McQueen
The car chase in Bullitt is as
unforgettable as the star itself, Steve McQueen. The icon of cool, and
until now, trendy brands such as Dolce & Gabbana and Tommy Hilfiger
still make use of his image. UBS also utilizes the McQueen image,
helping add to his $7 million in post-mortem earnings.
Richard Rodgers
To think that he no longer earns from
his partnership with Hammerstein for songs from The King and I and The
Sound of Music! Richard Rodgers’ heirs still earn for his songs like
Blue Moon. Hard to be blue with $7 million, however!
George Harrison
The third most popular Beatle, he may
have smaller earnings than Lennon. But with songs like Something and
Here Comes the Sun, $6 million can hardly be described as small.
Bettie Page
The ultimate pin-up of the 1950s! A
clothing line named after her has boosted earnings by $6 million after
her death. Definitely everyone’s kind of girl!
Andy Warhol
Campbell has as much to be grateful to
Andy Warhol as to the richness of its soup. His images still adorn a
swimwear line and a jeans company. He showed everyone what it means to
be a brand. He also showed us how to earn $6 million from it.
Elvis Presley
Before Michael Jackson became the King
of Pop, the world had already witnessed the King of Rock and Roll in
Elvis Presley. Yes, Elvis of the dangerously swaying hips whose daughter
was once married to Jackson himself. Talk about keeping it in the
family! The Heartbreak Hotel singer and actor died in 1977 of a heart
attack. Die-hard fans, to this day, still lap up any Elvis-related
merchandise however. Along with the earnings from his Graceland home,
licensing for Elvis products has brought in an additional $55 million to
his heirs.
Marilyn Monroe
She sang the sexiest happy birthday
song to one of the most beloved presidents of the United States, the
same man she was rumored to have had an affair with. Marilyn Monroe died
in 1962 at the young age of 36 because of an overdose. By leaving us in
her prime, our view of Marilyn as a sexy vixen will never change.
Rights to her iconic image are still hot property, with perfumes and
cafes with the Marilyn Monroe brand being planned and peddled. Fifty
years after she passed away, she is still earning $27 million, more than
enough to buy her diamonds that were her best friends.
