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Popstar is DEAD, Yet Made $600M, Earns More Than Rihanna & SRK Combined in 2024
A dead popstar just out-earned Rihanna and Shah Rukh Khan—combined. In 2024, while living celebrities are chasing fame and brand deals, Michael Jackson’s estate quietly pulled off a jaw-dropping $600 million deal. That’s not album sales or a comeback tour—he’s not even alive. So how is this possible?
The biggest reason for this massive income in 2023 is a record-breaking music rights deal between Sony and Michael Jackson’s estate. According to Axios, Sony bought 50% of his music catalog—the rights to some of the most iconic songs ever—for around $600 million. That means the total value of the catalog is over $1.2 billion. No other artist, living or dead, has inked a deal like that in recent memory.
This deal alone was so big that it made him the highest-paid celebrity of the year, beating everyone else, even those who are still performing and acting today.
From Debt to Billion-Dollar Legacy
Surprisingly, when Michael Jackson passed away in 2009, he was in deep financial trouble. Court records revealed he was more than $500 million in debt, as reported by Page Six. But his estate, managed by a smart team, turned everything around. They cleared the debts and turned his brand into a billion-dollar empire.
Compared to the Richest Living Celebrities
To understand how big the billionaire empire is, let’s compare him to other top stars. According to multiple reports:
- Taylor Swift has a net worth of around $1.6 billion, thanks to her record-breaking Eras Tour and her smart business moves.
- Rihanna is worth about $1.4 billion, mostly from her Fenty Beauty brand.
- Jay-Z is at the top with about $2.5 billion, earned through music, business, and investments.
- Shah Rukh Khan, India’s biggest film star, has a net worth between $730 to $875 million.
- Tom Cruise, known for Mission Impossible and Top Gun, is estimated to have $600 to $890 million.
- Michael Jackson’s estate alone is worth over $1.5 billion, with a music catalog that continues to grow in value. This puts him in the same league—and even above—many of today’s richest stars.
A Brand That Lives Forever
Michael Jackson was not just a singer. He was a global phenomenon. His songs, style, dance moves, and image became part of world culture. And now, his brand lives on in Broadway shows, Las Vegas residencies, TV specials, and merchandise sold globally. Every time someone plays Billie Jean or watches a Thriller video, money flows into the estate.
His team turned his fame into a business, and that business is booming—years after his death.
The Music Never Died, The Money Never Stopped
Michael Jackson’s case shows that legacies can be monetized in powerful ways—even after death. When managed wisely, they don’t just survive, they thrive.
