Michael Jackson tops Highest-Paid Dead Celebrities list of 2018

Forbes released a list of the highest-paid dead celebrities of 2018, including Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Marilyn Monroe. It doesn't come as a surprise that the King of Pop Michael Jackson is topping the list earning $400 million in this year alone. It's believed that the new Sony record deal and projects like TV special Michael Jackson’s Halloween on CBS are contributing to the multi-millions the late musician is making.

The top ten highest-paid dead celebrities are as follows:

1 Michael Jackson

MJ is apparently earning more now than when he was alive, NME reported.

2 Elvis Presley

The legendary singer has earned $40 million since his passing in 1977. Presley still sells over one million albums annually.

3 Arnold Palmer

Athlete Arnold Palmer made $35 million from a new addition to his alcohol line in conjunction with MolsonCoors.

4 Charles Schulz

Trailing behind at $34 million is cartoonist Charles Schulz, best known for his cartoon Peanuts.

5 Bob Marley

The reggae singer has made $23 million this year from headphones, Marley Natural cannabis and smoking accessories.

6 Dr. Seuss

Children's author Dr. Seuss earned $16 million as 4.8 million of his books were sold over the year.

7 Hugh Hefner

The Playboy founder passed away in 2017 leaving quite the legacy. Hefner's heirs sold the remaining portion of his estate for an estimated $35 million last year, getting more than a third up front, earning the late media mogul $15 million.

8 Marilyn Monroe

The iconic actress made the Forbes list due to new licensing deals acquiring $14 million this year.

9 Prince

During the course of the year the Purple Rain singer sold quarter-million physical albums, raking in $13 million.

10 John Lennon

John Lennon is added to the list due to the enduring success and appreciation for the Beatles. The late musician earned $12 million from annual album sales.

Honourable mentions include rapper XXXTentacion ($11 million), boxer Muhammad Ali ($8 million) and pin-up model Bettie Page ($7 million).