The Highest-Paid Dead Celebrities Of 2023

MICHAEL JACKSON June 25, 2009 (50)† $115 Million

The King of Pop returns to the top of the highest-earning dead celebrities list for the first time since 2019 thanks to the Broadway hit MJ: The Musical, which grossed some $85 million in ticket sales over the past year. Jackson also rings up millions from the Cirque du Soleil show, Michael Jackson ONE, in Las Vegas. His earnings should continue to rise—earlier this year the estate signed onto Michael, a biopic to be directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jackson’s nephew Jaafar.