It sounds a bit ‘bad’ – an ugly reality, but truths are often ugly and nobody wants them – still, half of the living world can’t compete with 1 dead Michael Jackson. Half the world would be overjoyed just to get a million… personally, I can’t even hit those numbers in a lottery dream, let alone otherwise. According to a 2025 Forbes report, Michael Jackson is the highest-earning deceased person in the world. His ‘post-life’ income is no less than roughly $3.5 billion (still more famous, apparently, since he doubled the famous dead Elvis Presley, who is earning ‘only’ $1.2 billion in the afterlife).
Imagine… as if I was thinking maybe half of the companies in Albania don’t even reach $3 billion; even half of European companies are ‘small’ ones. Then the internet showed me a 4-5 year old list (no new list, maybe they’re keeping secrets : ) as if telling me ‘no, sorry but you’re wrong – 3 billion is huge’, here’s the numbers: Albpetrol €1.2 billion, Vodafone Albania €290 million, Albtelecom €150 million, Kastrati Group €100 million…
…again, as if surprised by my own harsh joke, ‘go on then, Jackson, keep on dancing, keep resting’, dead, but still winning. Honestly, what should I tell you… better stay dead and enjoy the peace, enjoy your wealth over there. No more grueling tours, no need to tire yourself out with concerts or anything. When you were alive I remember you mentioning how they played you, you were complaining. The Sony execs maybe not that much, they were already royalty, but everyone else – hundreds of smaller firms – you had turned them all into millionaires and multi-millionaires, you made them all rich before you left us in 2009.
(s. guraziu – ars poetica, april 2026)
***
According to a 2025 report by Forbes, Michael Jackson is the highest-earning dead celebrity by a wide margin, with posthumous earnings of about $3.5 billion, far surpassing the $1.2 billion take from Elvis Presley. Much of Jackson’s earning come from his publishing catalog, but his estate also profits from shows that use his likeness, like MJ: The Musical.