Observations on Forbes’ 2024 list of top-earning dead celebrities

Forbes’ annual list of top-earning deceased celebrities always presents an interesting gathering of the dearly departed. It can be especially interesting to compare the newest list to those of prior years. For example, this year, Michael Jackson comes in at $600,000,000, whereas last year, Jackson topped the list at $115,000,000. The various Michael Jackson-themed stage productions reportedly contribute significantly to Jackson’s earnings.

Also apparent in reviewing the 2024 list is the role that licensing of the Right of Publicity has played in contributing to the reported figures. Arnold Palmer’s licensed iced tea and lemonade by Arizona, and the alcoholic version by Molson Coors, shows just how profitable a personality-branded beverage line can be: $14,000,000 in 2024. Whitney Houston’s $13,000,000 is aided by a licensed slot machines.

Though a frequent citing on prior lists, J.R.R. Tolkien is not on the 2024 list, but fellow authors Charles Schulz and Dr. Seuss continue as perennials. Inevitably, when a surprise death occurs, that person often will appear on the list for at least a year. Paul Walker, Nipsey Hustle, Tom Petty, and Juice WRLD all made the list for a year or even two after passing, but have not been seen since. This unfortunate distinction goes to Matthew Perry in 2024. The circumstances of his passing may add a bit of sustained attention to his premature passing, and his memoir also provides a contribution to his reported $18,000,000.

One-time sales of catalogs or assets can also either rocket the numbers upward, or put a person on the list for one year such as 2023’s Ray Manzarek. This year, it seems likely Ric Ocasek will be in this category with a reported $45,000,000 sale of his interest in his music catalog to Primary Wave.

Forbes’ methodology includes looking at sales and streaming figures, licensing, acquisitions or sales, or any other sources between the period of October of the prior year through September of the current year. Forbes also reportedly utilizes data from Luminate, and considers input from those in the industries.

Here’s a link to the 2024 list: Forbes 2024 Top-Earning Deceased Celebrities

A few thoughts on Forbes’ annual top-earning dead celebrities list

Departing from the usual Halloween release date, Forbes issued its annual top-earning deceased celebrities list on Friday, November 13th in 2020. A few takeaways, in no particular order:

1. Unsurprisingly, given the worldwide pandemic, almost all the reported numbers are down. Some may have more immunity than others, and those that went up, like Dr. Seuss were bolstered by television, movie and media deals. Some of that may be one-time bursts.
2. Elvis Presley was closing in on a 50% decline. Graceland, as a tourist destination, no doubt accounts for much of that given closures in 2020.
3. Prince is down yet again another year further from his death, as has been the trend. The summary on Prince mentions only music sales.
4. Those with the misfortune of making 2019’s list due to early departure, XXXTentacion and Nipsey Hussle, are gone.
5. Those with the misfortune of making 2020’s list due to early departure include Kobe Bryant and Juice WRLD. It will be interesting to see if Kobe Bryant is a one-time, one-year entrant or will make next year’s list as well.
6. Not-much-of-a-prediction: Eddie Van Halen will be on next 2021’s list. Though he passed away over a month prior to the release of the 2020 list, that is neither enough time to account increased sales, nor enough time to process his passing into a list that was no doubt already well underway in October.
7. The article includes a statement about its methodology, which includes sources I use when appropriate in valuations.

Last, a word about the often used term “delebrity” in relation to deceased celebrities. I get it, though it’s never really hit me as particularly clever or useful as a term. More importantly, no one I know who actually works with the heirs, family, and estates of notable deceased icons uses this term. It’s hard to take someone seriously who uses this term in their scholarship, publications, or writings. But keep using it, those who do, because it provides a revealing tell.

Here is a link to Forbes’ 2020 list: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2020/11/13/the-highest-paid-dead-celebrities-of-2020/?sh=37a974e03b4b&utm_source=Licensing+International+Database&utm_campaign=b3b89e5adb-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_12_18_01_57_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ec0e484a60-b3b89e5adb-397655773&mc_cid=b3b89e5adb&mc_eid=a31363c945