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Keeping your legacie alive is hard but nothing is a bigger compliment than being remembered after death and what better way to have something to show for it than to make it on Forbes list of Highest Paid Dead Celebrities.
The 2020 list was released by Forbes on 13 November 2020 and had some well known celebrities including some who lived many years ago like Marilyn Monroe who died in 1962 from an overdose but still managed to bring in $8 million from the use of her image and name in many brands including Dolce & Gabbana ranking her at number 13.
George Harrison (12), Freddie Mercury (11), Prince (10), John Lennon (9), Bob Marley (8) and Juice WRLD (7) were some of the other dead celebrities.
However the top 6 spots went to;
Number 6 - Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant made it to number 6. The NBA legend died in a helicopter crash on 26th January 2020 but according to Forbes his estate had made an estimated $20 million. This has mainly come from Nike selling out Kobe Bryant merchandise as well as his 2018 autobiography called "The Mamba Mentality: How I Play" which sold more than 300,000 copies this year.
Number 5 - Elvis Presley
At 5 was Elvis Presley bringing in $23 million, his earnings usually come from his home turned museum which typically bring in 10 million annually however COVID-19 hurt his earnings by having to close.
Number 4 - Arnold Palmer
Number 4 was Arnold Palmer bringing in $25million thanks to his deal with Arizona Beverages for his namesake lemonade-iced tea beverage, contract with MasterCard and hundreds of retailers that sell Arnold Palmer-branded merchandise throughout Asia.
Number 3 - Charles Schulz
Charles Schulz was number 3 bringing in $32.5 million partly from Apple TV+ which aired a new series of Snoopy in Space and other classics such as A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Number 2 - Dr Seuss
Dr Seuss was at number 2, bringing in $33 million from his books television and book deals.
Number 1 - Michael Jackson
The number 1 spot going to Michael Jackson bringing in $48 million partly from his documentary Leaving Neverland and long term deal with Sony which accounts for more than 70% of his earnings.
Conclusion
So there you have it folks it is possible to leave your mark in the world and still be remembered almost 60 years on as is the case with Marilyn Monroe.
