J.R.R Tolkien tops the Forbes dead celebs list (Picture: Picture Post)
Author JRR Tolkien topped a list from the afterlife to beat Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Kobe Bryant as the most lucrative dead celebrity.
They may no longer be personally gracing us with their crafts, but these stars are far from finished making bank thanks to their legacies.
According to Forbes, the ghosts of athletes, artists and entertainers past are generating up to $1.6billion (£1.4bn) from beyond the grave – the highest number of dead celeb earnings to date.
Lording over the lot, The Hobbit author Tolkien continues to earn a pretty sum despite dying from pneumonia in 1973.
Most recently, he amassed $500million (£440m) following the sale of Middle-Earth Enterprises, a company that handles intellectual property rights.
The Lord of the Rings author’s work lived on with The Rings Of Power this year (Picture: Amazon)
Kobe Bryant, who died in 2020, came in second place (Picture: 2010 Getty Images)
Riding his coattails is Kobe Bryant, the basketball hero that tragically died in a helicopter accident that also killed his young daughter.
Since departing, an energy drinks company he held stakes in was bought by Coca-Cola with the sale of his 7% holding in BodyArmour earning the pro athlete’s estate a whopping $400m (£350m).
Musical legends also make their mark on the list with the estates of members of The Beatles and Ziggy Stardust continuing to make bank.
Elvis’ funds skyrocketed following the release of his box office biopic (Picture: Kobal/Shutterstock)
The Beatles scored places for two of their members on this list, with George Harrison bringing up the rear (Picture: Bettmann Archive)
Of course, a round-up such as this wouldn’t be complete without the King himself.
Elvis Presley took the fourth spot after making a grand total of $110m (£96m) from his Graceland estate and the recent box office release of his biopic starring Austin Butler.
Suffering a heart attack aged 42, the rock n’ roll icon may be gone for good but his unforgettable career isn’t going to stop attracting big dollars anytime soon.
Perhaps surprisingly, bringing up the rear are two members of pop sensation, The Beatles.
Despite reducing obsessed fans to tears the world over, John Lennon sits in the 12th spot on the list.
Shot outside his New York apartment, the 60s heartthrob died in 1980 at 40 years old.
While John and his bandmate George Harrison – who bookends the round-up – aren’t around to remind us why all we need is love, their estates accumulated a combined balance of $28m (£24m).
Full list of top 13 earning dead celebrities:
J.R.R Tolkien – $500 million (£440 million)
Kobe Bryant – $400 million (£350 million)
David Bowie – $250 million (£218 million)
Elvis Presley – $110 million (£96 million)
James Brown – $100 million (£87 million)
Michael Jackson – $75 million (£65 million)
Leonard Cohen – $55 million (£48 million)
Dr. Seuss – $32 million (£28 million)
Jeff Porcaro – $25 million (£22 million)
Charles Schulz – $24 million (£21 million)
Juan Gabriel – $23 million (£20 million)
John Lennon – $16 million (£14 million)
George Harrison – $12 million (£10.5 million)
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