First published in 2010 on synergy.ie
Top-earning dead celebrities of 2009 has been published by Forbes. This year, the 13 top earning dead celebrities grossed a combined total of $886 million, an astonishing figure compared to $194 million in 2008 and $232 million in 2007.
The top 3 this year are a bit unusual. Yves Saint Laurent tops the list at $350 million, when the French fashion icon's possessions were sold this February. Broadway legends Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein took the second place with $235 million in combined earnings as the rights to the music they wrote were sold. Michael Jackson, not surprisingly, was the number 3 in the list.
Here is the list of 13 top earning dead celebrities of 2009:
- Yves Saint Laurent: $350 million
- Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein: $235 million (combined)
- Michael Jackson: $90 million
- Elvis Presley: $55 million
- J.R.R. Tolkien: $50 million
- Charles Schulz: $35 million
- John Lennon: $15 million
- Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel): $15 million
- Albert Einstein: $10 million
- Michael Crichton: $9 million
- Jimi Hendrix: $8 million
- Aaron Spelling: $8 million
- Andy Warhol: $6 million
Yves Saint Laurent and Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein are unlikely to remain on the top 13 list because the nature of their earnings. Income coming from one-time estate sale cannot keep them on the top list in the coming years. By comparison, Michael Jackson is expected to stay on top in the future. Earnings from loyalties and advertisers keep coming in even when the celebrities are long gone.
Deceased celebrities are safe choices for advertisers:
"Albert Einstein isn't going to get busted for drunk driving and Steve McQueen is not going to have an affair and be in the tabloids,” says David Reeder, vice president of Corbis' GreenLight, which represents Einstein, McQueen and many others. "Anything that's happened is behind them, making them a safe harbour for advertisers."
Source: forbes.com
Here is the list of top earning dead celebrities of 2008, as a comparison:
- Elvis Presley - $52 million
- Charles M. Schulz - $33 million
- Heath Ledger - $20 million
- Albert Einstein - $18 million
- Aaron Spelling - $15 million
- Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) - $12 million
- John Lennon - $9 million
- Andy Warhol - $9 million
- Marilyn Monroe - $6.5 million
- Steve McQueen - $6 million
- Paul Newman - $5 million
- James Dean - $5 million
- Marvin Gaye - $3.5 million
Marilyn Monroe quietly slipped out this year, but might be caused by those new to the list.