Top Earning Celebrities Six-Feet-Under

Forbes Magazine recently came out with its list of highest paid deceased celebrities. Still getting paid six-feet-under? Who knew?

Third on the list is our favorite Batman villain, Heath Ledger. As tragic as his death earlier this year already was, his hauntingly remarkable portrayal of Joker in this year’s The Dark Knight made Hollywood realize the immense talent that was lost in his death. Even after his demise, Ledger’s estate received a percentage of the blockbuster movie’s earnings and income from a merchandising deal negotiated before his death. All these, plus the payment he received for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, a movie he never finished, brings Ledger’s earnings for the past year to US$ 20 million.

Charlie Brown is one the most recognizable cartoon characters worldwide and the estate of his creator, Charles Schulz, who died in 2000, continues to earn from his popularity. Recently, the Peanuts comic strip partnered with Warner Brothers to release DVDs with new content of the cult cartoons. While Schulz already earned more than US$ 1.1 billion during his lifetime, the US$33 million he earned this past year from royalties and merchandise is definitely not peanuts

The King is back in number one on the list for the second straight year (after being replaced by Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain for one year, breaking Elvis’ five-year streak) and his income continues to rise. Elvis Presley has been dead for 31 years yet people are still buying merchandise and visiting Graceland, his beloved mansion in Memphis, Tennessee. The King’s estate continues to earn royalties from CD and DVD re-releases while still commencing new licensing ventures. Elvis’ take this past year? US$ 52 million. Hail to the King!