Richest dead celebrity? It's not Michael Jackson

[snopes]

According to Forbes magazine, the richest dead celebrity isn't Michael Jackson.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091028/...st_dead_celebs

[jimmy101_again]

The article is really misleading. The article is about income for the year, that isn't the same as "Richest dead celebrity".

The top dead people in the list are there because their estates basically sold off nearly everything of value related to the dead person(s). Those sales were one time deals. Next year the top three from this year won't even be on the list.

Most of the rest of the dead people on the list, though their estates made a lot less money, have been on the list for many years. Dead Elvis' earnings over the last couple decades dwarf Laurent and Rodgers & Hammerstein's take.

I suspect Michael will be bringing in many tens (if not hundreds) of million each year for many years to come.

This years top three won't ever be on the list again.

Besides, I suspect Michael's estate is a heck of a lot bigger than the couple hundred million that the top couple of people on the list earned this year.

[Latiam]

Not to mention the fact that he was in debt when he died. So his estate had a lot to settle and overcome.