Michael Jackson Is Still Earning More Than Living Celebrities

Some celebrities make a lot of money even after they are gone. Michael Jackson is a perfect example of this. According to Forbes, Michael Jackson was the world�s highest-paid celebrity in 2024 even though he passed away in 2009 nearly 16 years ago.

Forbes revealed that Michael Jackson earned $600 million in 2024. This huge income came from his song licenses, streaming, and especially from the sale of the rights to his musical biopic, MJ. His earnings were even greater than those of many living celebrities. Taylor Swift, for example, earned -$400 million, and Tom Cruise made -$25 million, while Shah Rukh Khan earned -$20 million much less than Michael Jackson.

Other high-earning deceased celebrities include Dr. Seuss with -$75 million, Elvis Presley with -$50 million, and Freddie Mercury with -$250 million. Michael Jackson stands at the top of them all.

It�s worth noting that Michael Jackson has earned a total of -$3.2 billion after his death, all from his intellectual property and song rights. His musical career started when he was a child, as a member of the Jackson Five. Later, Michael went solo and became the King of Pop with many popular songs. His album �Thriller� is one of the best-selling records in history.

Michael Jackson passed away in 2009 due to an overdose of propofol, which was administered by his doctor, Conrad Murray. The doctor was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011.