The sudden death of Michael Jackson made his bereaved fans put into their pockets and transform the most profitable dead celebrity this year, with revenues of $ 275 million, according to a ranking released on Monday by Forbes magazine.
Jackson posthumously earned more than the sum of 12 other celebrities from the list. He died on June 25, 2009, and the list last year he appeared in third place with $ 90 million billed.
Second on the list this year comes from Elvis Presley, who died in 1977. Business and collecting fees at the mansion-museum, Graceland (Tennessee), a Cirque du Soleil and more than 200 licensing agreements and advertising yielded $ 60 million to his estate.
Jackson died at age 50, victim of an accidental drug overdose, while preparing a tour to resume his career in London. He left three sons and a debt of half a billion dollars.
But his estate has generated millions of dollars since his death, mostly by selling records, the film-show “This Is It,” for contracts to launch new albums and a Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas.
Rose said the “King of Pop” won last year more than Lady Gaga, Madonna and Jay-Z together.
