Forbes Top-Earning Dead Celebrities
Here is the sixth annual Top-Earning Dead Celebrities list published in 2006.
- 1. Kurt Cobain
- 2. Elvis Presley
- 3. Charles M. Schulz
- 4. John Lennon
- 5. Albert Einstein
- 6. Andy Warhol
- 7. Dr Seuss (Theodor Geisel)
- 8. Ray Charles
- 9. Marilyn Monroe
- 10. Johnny Cash
- 11. J.R.R. Tolkien
- 12. George Harrison
- 13. Bob Marley
The list was compiled by Forbes and is based on the money earned by the celebs' estates through rights, merchandise etc.
The figures relate to the earnings from October 2005 to October 2006 and Forbes explains that Kurt Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, sold a 25% stake in his song catalog to Primary Wave for a reported $50 million, thereby thrusting the Nirvana star to the top.