Matthew Perry has joined the ranks of the highest-earning dead celebrities, alongside music legends like Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury, and Whitney Houston. Despite their passing, these artists continue to top the charts in terms of income, largely driven by music catalog sales and estate deals.
Michael Jackson’s estate scored a major win with a $600 million catalog sale to Sony, pushing his total earnings to over $3.3 billion since his death in 2009. Meanwhile, Freddie Mercury reentered the list with $250 million from Queen’s catalog sale to Sony. Other notable earners include Ric Ocasek of The Cars, Elvis Presley, Bob Marley, and Prince.
In a rare occurrence, Friends star Matthew Perry became one of the highest-earning dead television actors, alongside icons like Abbott & Costello. Perry, along with his Friends castmates, continues to earn royalties from the popular sitcom.
Other notable figures on the list include Dr. Seuss, Charles M. Schulz, John Lennon, and James Brown. Arnold Palmer’s iconic iced tea and lemonade drink remains a top earner, while Whitney Houston’s estate profits from branded slot machines.
The rankings were determined based on pretax earnings from various sources between October 2023 and September 2024, as well as estate acquisitions made during the same period. Overall, these deceased celebrities continue to have a lasting impact on popular culture and their estates continue to generate significant income through various revenue streams.
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