Lady Gaga banked an estimated $62 million last year from concert tickets, album sales and a collection of pricey endorsement deals; Jay-Z raked in $63 million while his wife Beyonce grabbed $87 million; and Madonna, the original Material Girl, earned $58 million, reports Forbes.
Impressive, until you consider Michael Jackson, the late King of Pop, pulled down $275 million – more than all four artists combined. It was enough to earn Jackson a spot atop our tenth annual list of the Top-Earning Dead Celebrities. (No surprise, he earned more than the 12 other list-makers collectively brought in during the year-long period.)
Many within the industry say its only a matter of time before Jackson’s mug is used to help peddle products the way those of stars like Albert Einstein (8) and Steve McQueen’s (11) are today.