Michael Jackson has been named Forbes’ highest-paid dead celebrity for 2025, the King of Pop bringing in an estimated $105 million in pre-tax earnings over the last year.
The figure keeps Jackson well ahead of other posthumous earnings leaders and reflects a steady flow of income from the estate’s music, live show franchises, licensing deals and catalog sales.
Much of the recent boost traces back to a high-profile 2024 transaction in which the estate sold a 50 percent stake in Jackson’s master recordings and publishing to Sony Music for roughly $600 million, a deal that reshaped the way the catalogue will generate revenue going forward.
Forbes and reporting partners note that Jackson’s estate has now pulled in roughly $3.5 billion since his death in 2009, making him by far the most lucrative posthumous music brand on the planet.
The estate’s income streams include the long-running Las Vegas residency and touring productions inspired by his work, as well as Broadway and international stage shows that continue to draw audiences.
Industry watchers say the combination of catalog monetisation, high-profile licensing and live entertainment partnerships explains why dead celebrities now regularly top money lists.
In Jackson’s case the estate’s careful commercial strategy and big-ticket transactions have created a gap between him and other deceased stars that is hard to bridge.
As one estate attorney told Forbes, “When it comes to estate earnings, it’s MJ, then an enormous canyon, then everybody else.”
The Forbes roster for 2025 shows many musicians filling the top slots, underlining how valuable recorded music and associated intellectual property remain for legacy acts.
That trend also highlights broader shifts in the music business, where catalog ownership and strategic licensing have become central to long-term value for both living and deceased artists.
Whether measured in box office receipts, streaming royalties or blockbuster catalog deals, Michael Jackson’s financial afterlife is a reminder that the commercial life of music can far outlast an artist’s time on stage.
For the industry, the headline number is a case study in how estates, labels and partners are turning legacy into lasting revenue.
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