Forbes’ list of “Highest Earning Deceased Celebrities” prepared for 2026 has been published. The works, brand licenses and intellectual property rights left behind by artists continue to generate a huge economy even years after their deaths. A surprising name was at the top of this year’s list.
Legendary music producer Quincy Jones, who died in late 2024 at the age of 91, ranked number 1 on the list with an estimated earnings of $150 million.
Jones’ heirs; He sold the publishing rights of unforgettable hits such as Soul Bossa Nova, the artist’s own catalog and the rights to the giant projects he produced to HarbourView Equity Partners in March 2026. The size of the sales amount was the main factor that brought Jones to the top.
The Fourth Name Surpassing Michael Jackson
In this list, which has been maintained by Forbes for 26 years, Quincy Jones became the fourth name to take the top spot from the “King” since Michael Jackson’s death in 2009. Previously, only Elizabeth Taylor (2012), Roald Dahl (2021) and JRR Tolkien (2022) were able to surpass Jackson with mass asset sales.
The 10% producer royalty share on Michael Jackson’s albums Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad also played a critical role in Quincy Jones’ catalog reaching such a high value.
Although it lost the top spot, Michael Jackson’s legacy generated $140 million in revenue in the last 12 months. The Michael biopic, for which the heritage management took a risk and invested 25 million dollars, became a great financial success, earning box office revenues exceeding 1 billion dollars worldwide.
The estimated pre-tax earnings of the 13 legendary names on the list between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026 are as follows:
$150 million – Quincy Jones
