Jamaican reggae icon Bob Marley held the Number 5 position on a list of the 13 top-earning deceased celebrities compiled by Forbes Magazine. Marley, who died on May 11, 1981, of cancer, had earnings of $20 million for the year. Marley’s music has enjoyed almost 1 billion streams in the United States, and what Forbes described as the “ubiquity” of products from the House of Marley, which include headphones, speakers, and turntables, makes a major contribution toward the total yearly earnings.

To determine the 2019 list of deceased top-earning celebrities, Forbes uses pre-tax income as reported from October 1, 2018, through October 1, 2019. The numbers are compiled with the aid of data from Nielsen Music and IMDBPro as well as from interviews with industry insiders. Any fees for managers, agents, or lawyers are not deducted from the totals.

The other celebrities included on the Forbes List of Top-Earning Dead Celebrities for 2019 include several musicians, sports figures, and authors. Michael Jackson holds the Number 1 spot, earning a total of $60 million for the year. Jackson died on June 25, 2009.

Rounding out the top five ranked earners, respectively, are Elvis Presley, cartoonist Charles Schulz, and golfer Arnold Palmer. The remaining top-earners for 2019 included, in order, beginning at Number 6, are Dr. Seuss, John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe, Prince, Nipsey Hussle, XXXtentacion, Whitney Houston, and: George Harrison.

Source: Forbes Magazine