How Dead Famous People Still Make Money Today
LONDON - 2001: (FILE PHOTO) Musician David Bowie appears during a live radio interview with Radio One DJ's Mark and Lard at the Radio One Maida Vale studio on in 2001 in London. Bowie was admitted to hospital yesterday for emergency heart surgery. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
If there’s one solid fact that we all can’t deny, it’s that we all love to know how much money celebs make. Thanks to the internet, we can now easily have access to this kind of information. But before the internet, there’s one credible source of the top millionaires’ list that provides us the updated chart yearly, no other than Forbes.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the rockers whose names are on the list of dead famous people that still make money today.
David Bowie
The critically acclaimed documentary Moonage Daydream, reveals who gets to control Bowie’s discography considering that the late icon is one of the world’s most monied dead stars. Early this year, Warner Chappell, took over his publishing rights and the Bowie Estate has gained $250 million out of the deal.
Elvis Presley
Through merchandise sales, shows, and profit coming from his famous Graceland home, Presley’s estate got around $110 million only this year alone.
James Brown
Just like other artists, dead or alive, James Brown’s estate has also ventured into selling the discography of the late musician whose worth is believed to be around $90 million now.
Michael Jackson
According to the analysis conducted by Forbes, the estate of Michael Jackson has enjoyed around $75 million in earnings this year through the help of his 2021’s MJ: The Musical.
Leonard Cohen
The estate of the acclaimed singer-songwriter has sealed the deal with Hipgnosis Song Management in 2022. The management now owns the rights to the 278 songs Cohen wrote in his lifetime. The deal gave Cohen’s estate is said to be worth around $55 million.
Jeff Porcaro
Although he is not as famous as other musicians on this list, drummer Jeff Porcaro is a music legend too. In November 2021, his estate was able to sell the rights to Primary Wave Music for a whopping $30 million.
