The latest list from Forbes:
The money might be drying up in Hollywood, but there’s still plenty of cash to be made in the graveyard. The 13 iconic figures on Forbes’ list of the Top-Earning Dead Celebrities grossed a collective $886 million in the past 12 months.
Topping the list for the first time is Yves Saint Laurent, who earned $350 million care of a much-heralded estate sale. In February, auction house Christie’s sold many of the French fashion icon’s possessions, including expensive art, antiques and furniture, garnering $443 million in proceeds over the course of three days.
At No. 2, between Saint Laurent and Jackson, are Broadway legends Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. The songwriting duo, who wrote the music and lyrics to widely successful shows like Oklahoma, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music, made the bulk of their $235 million in combined earnings from the sale of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization and the rights to music they wrote together.
