Forbes recently dropped its annual list of the highest-paid dead celebrities – and some of the names in the latest edition might surprise you.

From music icons to beloved authors, read on to discover the 13 stars featured and find out how much money their estates made in 2024. We'll also explore who benefits from each star's millions, from family members to estate management companies.

All dollar amounts in US dollars.

But first, how has Forbes calculated who's on the list and what they've earned? The 2024 list of the highest-paid dead celebrities includes pre-tax earnings derived from sales, streams, licensing agreements, and other revenue streams from 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024. In addition, it also factors in estate acquisitions that were either completed or announced during the same period. 

The list has been compiled using data provided by Luminate and further bolstered by insights gathered via interviews with entertainment industry insiders. It's worth noting that fees for agents, managers, and lawyers have not been subtracted from the earnings.

With all that in mind, let's find out who the top 13 highest-paid dead celebrities of the past year are...

The life of powerhouse songstress Whitney Houston ended tragically when she drowned in a hotel bathtub at the age of 48 in 2012. More than a decade after her untimely death, Houston's estate continues to make millions, bringing in $13 million (£10m) in 2024.

Her estate is set to rake it in from an astonishing income stream – slot machines. Las Vegas casinos are gearing up to launch Whitney-branded gaming machines that will play her music and videos. Income will be generated for her estate via a royalty percentage that increases as more games are played. At least 1,000 Whitney slots are set to launch in Sin City in 2025.

Houston left her entire estate to her daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown (pictured together), who was just 19 years old when her mother passed away. Brown herself died just three years later, at the age of 22. She was also found unresponsive in a bathtub, in circumstances that eerily echoed her mother's demise. 

Following Bobbi's shock death, Houston's estate was transferred to her mother, Cissy, and her two brothers. However, Cissy later stepped down from her role, and Whitney's sister-in-law, Marion 'Pat' Houston, is the estate executor. 

In 2019, the estate partnered with management company Primary Wave Music, which received a 50% stake in Houston's estate, including her publishing rights, master recording revenue, name, likeness and brand. 

American golf legend Arnold Palmer is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 87 due to heart problems. Though Palmer banked a fortune from his golfing career, another major money-spinner was his namesake beverage line. His popular half-lemonade, half-iced tea drink was launched in 2001 in partnership with the Arizona Beverage Company.

The Arnold Palmer iced tea and lemonade drink sells around 500 million cans annually. Meanwhile, the alcoholic version of the beverage, produced by Molson Coors, is the nation's second-most popular spiked tea. As a result, the Palmer estate banked $14 million (£10.8m) in 2024. 

Upon his death, Arnold Palmer bequeathed $10 million (£7.7m) of his fortune to his widow, Kathleen. An additional $10 million was left to his non-profit organisation, Arnie’s Army Charitable Foundation. Launched in 2015, it provides financial aid to charities that help children, families, the environment and communities.

A portion of Palmer's fortune was also allocated to settle debts with creditors and compensate former employees.

Palmer's two daughters, Peggy and Amy, inherited the lion's share of his estate, including golf courses, properties and merchandise licensing. The heiresses most likely also profit from the royalties generated by his beverage line.

Music icon James Brown died from heart failure in 2006 at the age of 73. 

Almost two decades on from his death, the estate of the so-called “hardest working man in show business” continues to rake in a fortune each year, earning $15 million (£11.5m) alone in 2024.

The estate plans to increase revenues by transforming Brown's South Carolina mansion into a museum. Restoration and archiving of his belongings are underway. The goal is to convert the sprawling estate near Augusta, Georgia into a tourist attraction akin to Elvis Presley's Graceland.

When James Brown died, his estate became involved in a legal battle with several family members fighting for control.

A 2009 settlement planned to give almost half of Brown's estate to his charitable trust and a quarter to his partner Tomi Rae Hynie, while the rest was to be split among his children. However, the state Supreme Court overturned the deal in 2013, as Brown had expressed wishes for most of his money to go to charity. 

Brown's family reached an undisclosed settlement in 2021. That same year, Primary Wave Music acquired the assets of the James Brown estate in a deal valued at around $90 million ($105m/£80.7m in today's money). It was reported that Primary Wave Music would partner with the estate on projects related to The James Brown 2000 Trust, a charity established by the late star. 

The late John Lennon rose to fame with the Beatles, but the musician-turned-activist's life was cut short in 1980 when he was murdered at the age of 40.

Lennon's estate continues to earn millions from his music catalogue, which includes both his solo work and his contributions to the Beatles. Even though it's been more than four decades since Lennon's death, his music catalogue is still expanding. Last year, the Beatles released a new song titled Now and Then, which used AI technology to bring all four band members together one final time. The track, which became a number one hit, is based on one of Lennon's demos from the 1970s.

Thanks to the enduring popularity of Lennon's music and the advanced powers of AI, his lucrative estate earned an impressive $17 million (£13.1m) in 2024. 

Following John Lennon's sudden death, his estate was primarily owned and managed by his widow, Yoko Ono. The couple are shown here together.

Lennon's sons Julian (from his first marriage to Cynthia Powell) and Sean (who he shared with Ono) were also named beneficiaries of the estate. Ono primarily managed the Lennon estate until 2021 before retiring from the public eye, leaving Sean in charge.

Actor Matthew Perry, best known for playing Chandler Bing in the TV show Friends, tragically passed away in 2023 at the age of 54. His sudden death was ruled a drug overdose, and at least five people have been charged in connection with the incident. 

Thanks to the enduring popularity of Friends, his estate earns more than $17 million (£13.1m) annually in royalties from the sitcom. 

Meanwhile, his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing has sold over 2.5 million copies since its release. Overall, his estate pulled in $18 million (£13.8m) this past year.

The late American cartoonist Charles M. Schulz is famous for creating the Peanuts comic strips, which featured beloved characters such as Charlie Brown and Snoopy.

Schulz passed away in 2000 at the age of 77. More than two decades later, his estate remains highly lucrative, earning $30 million (£23.1m) in 2024 via streaming deals and brand partnerships.

Apple TV+ has brought the Peanuts gang to the screen with various TV spin-offs and holiday specials. Meanwhile, Peanuts-themed merchandise is surprisingly all the rage among Gen Z, fuelled by its popularity on social media app TikTok. 

Since the death of Charles M. Schulz, his estate has primarily been managed by his family, with his widow Jean taking the lead. 

Jean has overseen various aspects of the estate, from publishing new Peanuts material to licensing and merchandising agreements. She also oversees the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Centre in Santa Rosa, California, which is dedicated to preserving her husband's legacy.

The late Jamaican music icon Bob Marley is regarded as a pioneer of the reggae genre. Tragically, he passed away at the age of 36 in 1981 after a battle with cancer.

More than four decades after his untimely death, Marley's estate remains a moneyspinner, raking in an incredible $34 million (£26.1m) in 2024. 

Unsurprisingly, his estate primarily makes money from music royalties and merchandising deals. However, the estate it a boost in 2024 thanks to the release of the biopic Bob Marley: One Love. 

Marley didn't leave a will when he died, and Jamaican law dictated the estate's division. It was declared that 10% would go to Marley's widow, Rita, with an additional 45% distributed to her throughout her lifetime, while the remaining 45% would be shared equally among his children.

However, the decision was contested, leading to a decade-long legal battle between Rita, Marley's children, former band members, and his music label. In 1991, the court finally ruled in favour of Rita Marley and Chris Blackwell's Island Logic Ltd., which had been managing Marley's estate since 1989.

Meanwhile, his 11 children were given exclusive rights to Marley's name, likeness and image for commercial purposes. Island Logic Ltd. continued to control the estate for another decade before it transitioned to Marley's 11 children. Today, the estate is run by four of his children under the name House of Marley, while his remaining offspring have seats on the board.

American music icon Prince passed away from an accidental overdose in 2016 at the age of 57.

The late star's estate earned $35 million (£26.9m) in 2024, bolstered by his lucrative music catalogue and savvy licensing deals using his name, image and likeness. The estate also profits from visitors to his Minneapolis compound, Paisley Park.

However, an upcoming Netflix documentary on Prince has sparked controversy and may never be released due to objections from his estate. The estate reportedly disapproved of how Paisley Park looked on film and also contested scenes featured in the documentary.

Prince passed away suddenly and without a will, resulting in his six half-siblings being named as his heirs. However, this led to a lengthy legal battle over his estate, which wasn't resolved until 2022.

The final ruling determined that the estate should be divided equally between Prince Legacy LLC and Prince OAT Holdings LLC.

Prince Legacy LLC comprises interests previously held by three of Prince's half-siblings, while Prince OAT Holdings LLC is owned by the music publishing company Primary Wave.

Ric Ocasek, frontman of American rock band The Cars, passed away in 2019, aged 75.

The late singer's estate earned $45 million (£34.6m) in 2024, with the cash influx coming after Primary Wave bought a stake in Ocasek's publishing, name, image and likeness rights. 

The Cars have sold over 20 million records worldwide, while singer-songwriter Ocasek also enjoyed a solo career.

Ocasek's will sparked a legal battle after it came to light that just weeks before his death, he'd disinherited his wife, Paulina Porizkova (pictured together). Supermodel Porizkova called the move a "betrayal". She disputed the will, claiming she was entitled to a share in the estate according to New York law. 

At the time of Ocasek's death, his estate was valued at a mere $5 million ($6.2m/£4.8m today). However, Porizkova claimed the figure was misleadingly low and possibly given for "tax purposes." The estate eventually settled with Porizkova, and she was awarded an undisclosed sum. 

Entertainnment website Vulture reported that the majority of Ocasek's estate was split between the two sons he shared with Porizkova, Oliver and Jonathan.

Elvis Presley passed away tragically young, dying from a heart attack in 1977, aged just 42.

Almost five decades later, the legacy of the 'King of Rock 'n' Roll' endures, with his estate earning $50 million (£38.4m) in 2024.

In addition to his lucrative music catalogue and image rights, Presley's Graceland estate makes a fortune. It attracted 600,000 visitors this past year and boasts multiple income sources, such as entry fees and merchandise lines. 

Upon Presley's death, he left his entire estate to his only child, Lisa Marie Presley. As Lisa Marie was only nine when her father died, Presley's ex-wife, Priscilla, managed the estate, with Lisa Marie eventually taking control on her 25th birthday.

Shockingly, Lisa Marie died last year at the age of 54. Her sudden death sparked a legal battle for control of the Elvis Presley estate between Priscilla Presley and her granddaughter, Riley Keough (pictured together). Lisa Marie had left all of her assets to her adult daughter, Keough, and her teenage twins, Harper and Finley Lockwood, a decision contested by Priscilla. 

The battle has since ended, with a judge ruling in favour of Riley. She's now the lucrative estate's sole trustee. 

The late Dr. Seuss is regarded as one of the best children's authors of all time. He wrote over 60 books, including The Cat in the Hat, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Green Eggs and Ham.

Dr. Seuss passed away in 1991 at the age of 87 after a battle with cancer. Yet more than three decades after his death, his estate remains lucrative, having earned an eye-watering $75 million (£57.7m) this past year. 

His back catalogue continues to be a money-spinner, with new generations of readers enjoying Seuss' titles. Other income streams include licensing for theme parks, TV and movies and apparel. 

Following the death of Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel, his widow, Audrey Geisel, took over the management of his estate and the licensing of his work. She founded Dr. Seuss Enterprises in 1993 and ran the business until her death in 2018.

It's currently unclear who owns the lucrative estate. In 2021, it was reported that a woman named Susan Brandt was serving as the president of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, but it's not certain if she owns a share in the company.

While Dr. Seuss didn't have any biological children, he did have two stepdaughters, Lark and Leagrey, courtesy of Audrey's previous marriage. It's unknown if they were named heirs after their mother's death.

Music icon Freddie Mercury died in 1991 at the age of 45 after a battle with AIDS.

More than three decades after his untimely death, Queen’s music remains as popular as ever, and in 2024, Mercury's estate earned a remarkable $250 million (£192m).

The cash influx came after Sony Music acquired Queen's music catalogue for a record-breaking $1 billion (£770m). The deal includes the rights to the band’s biggest hits, including I Want to Break Free and Bohemian Rhapsody.

Music legend Michael Jackson passed away in 2009 at the age of 50. An investigation into Jackson's untimely death led to his doctor, Conrad Murray, being convicted of involuntary manslaughter for administering a lethal cocktail of drugs to the singer.

Jackson's estate earned an astonishing $600 million (£461m) in 2024 alone. This year, Sony Music Group purchased half of Jackon's music catalogue for at least $600 million pre-tax, in a deal that valued the singer's musical assets at more than $1.2 billion (£922m) – the highest sum ever paid for the work of a single musician.

The Jackson estate also profits from the globetrotting MJ: The Michael Jackson Musical stage show. Productions of the show in major cities such as London and Las Vegas earn $6 million (£4.6m) per week. 

So, who profits from the lucrative Jackson estate? Upon his death, Michael Jackson left 40% of his estate to his beloved mother Katherine. He also donated a 20% share to charity.

The remaining 40% was divided among his three children, Prince, Paris and Bigi (pictured). They will also inherit Katherine's share upon her death.

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