After Death

Better dead than alive.

Ever wonder how much money you can make when you are dead? I ask myself that question everyday.

Take a look at how much these dead people made last year according to Forbes Magazine.

Some made more dead than alive.

Top-Earning Dead Celebrities


Kurt Cobain

Earnings: $50 million
Occupation: Musician
Died: April 5, 1994
Age: 27
Cause: Suicide

Will Kurt Cobain sell cars? Perhaps. The Nirvana front man's music could start popping up in some unexpected places now that his widow Courtney Love has sold a 25% stake in his band's song catalog to Primary Wave, a New York music publishing company. Primary Wave, which paid a reported $50 million for its stake, has already struck a deal to feature Nirvana music in an episode of CSI: Miami. Now it is considering licensing the music to certain marketers. Meanwhile, Nirvana's recording catalog sold 1.1 million units in the U.S. in 2005 and is on track to come close to that total this year as well, according to Nielsen SoundScan.







Elvis Presley

Earnings: $42 million
Occupation: Musician
Died: Aug. 16, 1977
Age: 42
Cause: Heart attack

Die-hard fans of the King continue to buy more product, such as another boxed set of his greatest hits and the umpteenth release of the King's legendary recordings for Sun Records. But Presley's estate, now managed by Robert Sillerman's CKX, has seen a slight falloff in the Elvis business in the last year. Presumably that will pick up again if CKX is able to pull off the Elvis-themed Las Vegas attraction it has in the works.







Charles M. Schulz

Earnings: $35 million
Occupation: Cartoonist
Died: Feb. 12, 2000
Age: 77
Cause: Colon cancer

The Peanuts gang gets play every day through syndication in 2,400 newspapers around the world. But the real money comes from licensing, a hefty piece of which goes to the Schulz estate. U.S. retailer Urban Outfitters, for instance, is pushing a line of T-shirts, a Christmas tree and--soon--replicas of Linus' security blanket. This summer, China introduced a set of stamps featuring Snoopy in different locations throughout the country.







John Lennon

Earnings: $24 million
Occupation: Musician
Died: Dec. 8, 1980
Age: 40
Cause: Murder

Lennon's legacy was burnished again this year with the release of The U.S. Vs. John Lennon, a documentary by Lionsgate recounting the late Beatle's peace activism and his battles with the U.S. government. Meanwhile, the Beatles continue to sell more than a million discs a year in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. More money could be in the pipeline: In August, a New York state Supreme Court judge cleared the way for the Beatles, living and deceased, to sue EMI Group for at least $25 million in damages and unpaid royalties and for the rights to the band's master recordings. In October, Lennon's widow Yoko Ono sued EMI for $10 million in unpaid royalties on sales of Lennon's solo recordings.







Albert Einstein

Earnings: $20 million
Occupation: Scientist
Died: April 18, 1955
Age: 76
Cause: Natural causes

Albert Einstein's genius continues to inspire thinkers of all stripes, while his visage makes marketers write big checks--image licensing shop Corbis says it gets more requests for Einstein than for any other person. Rights to Einstein's name belong to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which also earns a substantial cut from Walt Disney's Baby Einstein line of educational toys and videos.







Andy Warhol

Earnings: $19 million
Occupation: Artist
Died: Feb 22, 1987
Age: 58
Cause: Complications after a gall bladder operation

The pop artist remains a pop icon. Most recently, his estate, managed by the nonprofit Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, signed off on a new apparel line with jeansmaker Levi Strauss & Co. It will also reap royalties from a licensing deal with Barneys New York. The high-end department store will feature Warhol's work in a holiday campaign--think bags, billboards and store windows--aptly titled "Happy Warholidays."







Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel)

Earnings: $10 million
Occupation: Author
Died: Sept. 24, 1991
Age: 87
Cause: Natural causes

The Grinch is coming to Broadway. Representatives of Geisel's green icon of Christmas had to strike an agreement with the theater unions in order to put on 12 shows a week, four more than the industry standard. But ticket prices, all under $100, are cheaper than for most musicals. Meanwhile, his cherished children's books still fly from the shelves, bringing in millions of dollars every year.






Ray Charles

Earnings: $10 million
Occupation: Musician
Died: June 10, 2004
Age: 73
Cause: Liver disease

Charles' estate continues to benefit from a rekindled interest in the musician's life and work. Royalties from Ray, the 2004 biopic staring Jaime Foxx, continue to roll in, boosted by DVD sales; so do dollars from the sale of his music.







Marilyn Monroe

Earnings: $8 million
Occupation: Actress
Died: Aug. 5, 1962
Age: 36
Cause: Overdose of sleeping pills

Marilyn Monroe remains the embodiment of Hollywood glamour, and her likeness continues to grace products and advertisements alike. New deals include a "Marilyn" perfume line in Europe; other recent projects include advertising campaigns with Dom Perignon, Absolut and General Motors.






Johnny Cash

Earnings: $8 million
Occupation: Musician
Died: Sept. 12, 2003
Age: 71
Cause: Complications from diabetes

The Man in Black had a banner year last year, and this year has been even better--he's sold 3.6 million discs in the U.S. this year, up from 2.8 million in 2005. Those totals have been boosted by the February DVD release of his biopic, and two new album releases: Personal File, a Sony Music collection of previously unreleased tracks, and Lost Highway's American V: A Hundred Highways, from Cash's final recording sessions with producer Rick Rubin.







Wow, here us average Joes are working hard just to put food on the table and gas in the car.

These dead people don't have to lift a finger and look at the bucks they make!!

I did the math - the first year after my death if Vicki sells my personal possessions at a garage sale I should make about $27.92.

That is, of course, if she doesn't let someone talk her down on price.


That's it for this Saturday. I hope today's blog enlightened you. Join me once again on Sunday for all the news you can use.