Sixteen years after his death, Michael Jackson continues to reign as the highest-earning deceased celebrity, generating $105 million in 2025, according to Forbes’ latest ranking .

The King of Pop’s estate benefits primarily from his publishing rights and master recordings, as well as the ATV catalog that includes many classic Beatles songs, Parade said.

Jackson’s legacy also remains visible through entertainment ventures like the Broadway production “MJ: The Musical” and Cirque du Soleil’s “Michael Jackson ONE.”

Jackson’s business dealings with Sony have shaped his posthumous earnings, Parade noted. He sold half of his ATV Music Publishing catalog to Sony in 1995, with his remaining stake sold to the company in 2016 for approximately $750 million. CBS reported at the time that “th

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