According to Forbes magazine, the late American musician Michael Jackson earned an estimated $105 million in pre-tax income, making him the highest-paid deceased celebrity of 2025.
A profitable agreement with Sony Music, in which the estate sold a 50% interest in the King of Pop’s master recordings and publishing catalog for an astounding $600 million, is credited with the King’s financial domination.
Jackson is now the most posthumously successful superstar of all time, with $3.5 billion generated by his estate since he died in 2009.
His long-running Las Vegas residency, Michael Jackson ONE, has performed more than 5,000 times this year, and his Broadway success, MJ: The Musical, has made close to $300 million globally.
Bob Marley, John Lennon, and Prince are among the other well-known musicians on Forbes’ yearly list. Together, they made $541 million in the previous year.
ALSO READ: Yemi Alade Says Cigarette Addiction Harmed Her Voice
With $85 million in revenue, Dr. Seuss took second place thanks to strong book sales and Netflix licensing agreements.
Following Sony’s $400 million acquisition of Pink Floyd’s catalogue, co-founders Richard Wright and Syd Barrett each received $81 million.
Jackson’s impact goes beyond record sales, as evidenced by the growing empire of his estate.
In April 2026, his nephew Jaafar Jackson will star in the eagerly awaited biopic “Michael,” which is likely to spark yet another surge in attention and revenue.
Famous singer Yemi Alade has talked candidly about overcoming a brief cigarette addiction, disclosing that she had a smoking addiction as a teenager but gave it up because “it didn’t work out.”
The Johnny hitmaker revealed that she battled the addiction in secret but concealed it from the world, which prompted her to give it up as she didn’t feel proud of it.
In an open interview with Chude, Yemi Alade said that smoking harmed her voice.
“Some people say I don’t smoke, I don’t this, I don’t that. When I was in the university I tried smoking. I did not work out. But before it did not work out, it worked out a bit too much. I started needing to smoke before I go to bed. I was getting addicted to that lifestyle. But also, in public, I would hide the cigarette.
