Forbes puts out a list of the Top 10 Earning Deceased Celebrities each year. These people are earnings millions…or rather their estates are…long after their death. While we don’t all have lucrative music or film contracts that provide for residual income, we can all learn something from these celebrities. With careful estate planning, and smart investments, your estate can continue to earn money long after your death as well which will provide your beneficiaries with financial security for years to come.
- Michael Jackson & Mijac Music (Jackson’s publishing company) $170 million
- Elvis Presley $55 million
- Marilyn Monroe $27 million
- Charles Shulz $25 million
- John Lennon $12 million
- Elizabeth Taylor $12 million
- Albert Einstein $10 million
- Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) $8 million
- Jimi Hendrix $7 million
- Stieg Larson (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) $7 million
Most of the names on the list are not much of a surprise; however, a few are interesting. Take Steig Larson, for example. Larson lived a life of relative poverty up to his death. His now famous book was just hitting the shelves when he died, meaning that his estate earned far more last year than Larson ever earned while alive.
