Forbes Asia - November 2016

NOVEMBER 2016 FORBES ASIA | 55

PUSH ART

Estimates are for pretax income from Oct. 1, 2015 through Oct. 1, 2016 before deducting expenses for agents, managers and

lawyers. Sources include Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen BookScan, PollstarPro, IMDB and interviews with estate experts.

4. ELVIS PRESLEY

$27 MILLION

MUSICIAN, ACTOR

DIED: AUG. 16, 1977 AGE: 42

CAUSE: HEART ATTACK

The King still moves more than

1 million albums per year—most of

them physical, not digital—a haul still

dwarfed by his multimillion-dollar

Graceland income, mostly from ticket

sales. (A change in how we account

for those ticket sales, not weakening

demand, accounts for Elvis’ 50% drop

in income since last year.)

5. PRINCE

$25 MILLION

MUSICIAN, ACTOR

DIED: APR. 21, 2016 AGE: 57

CAUSE: OVERDOSE

His Purpleness passed away while still

at the top of his touring game (grossing

nearly $2 million per show). He also sold

more than 2.5 million albums over the past

year, more than any other deceased musician.

6. BOB MARLEY

$21 MILLION

MUSICIAN

DIED: MAY 11, 1981 AGE: 36

CAUSE: CANCER

Album sales aren’t really what

keeps Marley alive on our

ranking. Instead, it’s House

of Marley audio products,

Marley’s Mellow Mood bever-

ages and merchandise sales.

8. JOHN LENNON

$12 MILLION

MUSICIAN

DIED: DEC. 8, 1980 AGE: 40

CAUSE: MURDER

The British bard continues to share

in the Beatles’ spoils—some 65 mil-

lion albums sold in the United States

alone in the past quarter-century—

and other ventures, such as Love!,

the Fab Four–themed Cirque du

Soleil extravaganza in Las Vegas.

12. STEVE MCQUEEN

$9 MILLION

ACTOR

DIED: NOV. 30, 1980 AGE: 50

CAUSE: COMPLICATIONS FROM SURGERY

Tag Heuer, Porsche, Persol and Barbour all

have deals with McQueen thanks to his

enduring aura of daredevil cool.

13. ELIZABETH TAYLOR

$8 MILLION

ACTOR

DIED: MAR. 23, 2011 AGE: 79

CAUSE: HEART FAILURE

The celebrity fragrance business may

seem lifeless, but Taylor’s scents, such

as White Diamonds, linger on.

11. DAVID BOWIE

$10.5 MILLION

MUSICIAN, ACTOR

DIED: JAN. 10, 2016 AGE: 69

CAUSE: CANCER

Industrious to the very end, the

Thin White Duke released his

final album, Blackstar, just two

days before his death. The ensu-

ing sales spike helped him outsell

Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley

over the past year.

7. THEODOR

“DR. SEUSS” GEISEL

$20 MILLION

AUTHOR

DIED: SEPT. 24, 1991 AGE: 87

CAUSE: NATURAL CAUSES

From there to here and here to there, Seuss’ work is

everywhere: Geisel still moves millions of his whim-

sical children’s books annually, with a take that

doubled in the past year with the 2015 release of

the previously unpublished What Pet Should I Get?

FLOYD MAYWEATHER

$300 MIL

(2015)

SOURCE:

BOXING MATCH VS.

MANNY PACQUIAO

J.K. ROWLING
$300 MIL
(2008)
SOURCE:
HARRY POTTER