Dead Rich – Celebs Making Dollar After Death

When you think of celebrities these days, you imagine their wealth and lifestyle. But, when celebs pass, it’s often what they have achieved that is focused on, such as their work as musicians, actors, etc. However, many celebrities actually make a ton of money in the years after death, with many generating millions.

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, died at the relatively young age of fifty, leaving behind several children. Prestigious gaming brand PartyCasino completed a study of celebrities’ incomes after death, and Jackson’s is well ahead of the rest when considering the last decade. It’s estimated that the Jackson estate has raked in over $2 billion, which makes a ton of sense when you consider how popular his music remains today and the royalty payouts that will be acquired as a result. With each passing year, Jackson is one of the top three celebs earning the big bucks after death, and that isn’t about to change anytime soon.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant, an NBA legend, met his untimely death following a helicopter crash in 2020. Aged forty-one, Bryant, a celebrity in his own right,  had enjoyed a two-decade career at the top of basketball, playing for the LA Lakers for the entirety of those twenty years. But, crucially, before his death, Bryant had decided to make some smart business moves, with one of them being to purchase a 7% share in energy drink company BodyArmor. In November 2021, Bryant’s decision paid off because Coca-Cola completed a takeover of the company for $5.6 billion, and Bryant’s estate pocketed $400 million from the sale.

Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl, like Michael Jackson, is another dead celebrity who has consistently earned millions thanks to his catalog of work. Dahl, who hailed from Wales and died aged seventy-four in 1990, is a renowned novelist, screenwriter, and poet. In the last decade alone, it’s estimated the man behind books such as The BFG and Matilda has earned a fortune close to half a billion pounds, and when you consider he passed over three decades ago, it’s very likely he’s passed the billion-pound mark comfortably. Again, like Jackson, Dahl’s work is timeless and still incredibly popular today, which is the reason why the pounds continue to accrue in their millions.

R. R. Tolkien

R. R. Tolkien is renowned for being the man who created The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. In terms of works of fantasy, you will struggle to find many who have achieved the success Tolkien achieved. And even though he passed in 1973, his work has undoubtedly ensured that his estate has healthy earnings. A lot of these earnings came into the company Middle Earth Enterprises, and this is where it gets really interesting. A Swedish video game company came along and bought Middle Earth Enterprises but didn’t want to disclose how much they paid. But, someone told the press it was a deal worth $500 million, which is sure to have boosted Tolkien’s earnings significantly.