Reggae icon Bob Marley continues to earn a spot on the list of the highest-paid dead celebrities in the world as ranked by American business magazine Forbes.

In its latest compilation, Marley is ranked at number 11 on the list of 13 with an income totalling US$16 million. According to Forbes, the inflows into the global superstar’s estate comes as a result of the diversification of its income streams.

“The reggae star’s brand — which covers speakers, turntables, headphones, clothing, and lighters — has expanded into psychedelics, thanks to an exclusive multi-year licence agreement with Silo Wellness Inc in June to develop a mushroom product line called Marley One. His listeners also keep coming back to his hits like Is This Love and Jamming, consistently streaming his songs one billion times per year in the United States,” Forbes stated.

Based on Forbes‘ figures for the past 10 years, Marley has earned in the region of US$193 million. The income for 2020, which amounted to US$14 million, was the lowest annual earning while the US$23 million earned in both 2017 and 2018 represented the highest over the same 10-year period. Marley died of cancer 40 years ago (May 11, 1981).

The magazine noted that this year’s dead celebrity ranking includes pre-tax earnings from sales, streams, licensing deals, and other sources between October 30, 2020 and October 30, 2021, as well as estate acquisitions made or announced during the same period. Numbers are also compiled with the help of data from MRC Data (a US-based data and analytics provider), IMDbPro, NPD BookScan, and interviews with industry insiders. Fees for agents, managers, and lawyers are not deducted.

The 2021 list of highest-paid dead celebrities is topped by writer Roald Dahl, whose estate earned a staggering US$513 million for the period. He’s best known for his best-selling book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory featuring the Willy Wonka character. Dahl’s heirs have reportedly chosen Netflix for his idea factory, selling their share of the Roald Dahl Story company to the streamer in September 2021. Actor Timothée Chalamet will star as Willy Wonka in a new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel slated for a 2023 release by Warner Bros.

American superstar Prince was number two on the Forbes list. The artiste known for songs such as Purple Rain and When The Doves Cry, who died in April of 2016, was still able to pull in a total earning of US$120 million for the period.

After topping this ranking for eight years, King of Pop Michael Jackson came in at number three for 2021 with a total earning of US$75 million.

“The King of Pop’s Mijac Music catalogue, which includes tunes by Ray Charles, Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, gave Jackson a big boost this year by drawing in a new US$30-million investment during 2021. His own discography of hits — including Billie Jean, Beat it and Rock With You — racked up 1.3 billion streams,” Forbes stated.

Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009 at the age of 50. His death was ruled a homicide which resulted from an overdose.

Elvis Presley, another perennial favourite on this Forbes list, came in at number seven with a total income of US$30 million. The magazine noted that this estate is rebounding after it took a hit in the early days of the pandemic.

“With Graceland approaching pre-COVID attendance levels, the King’s empire is recuperating — and landing new partnerships, including Cinedigm’s The Elvis Presley Channel, which débuts on his birthday, January 8, and promises archival content, concerts and more. In the fall, Netflix will première an animated adult series called Agent King, in which Elvis will explore an alternate history where he faked his own death to fight crime with a secret government spy programme.”

Another noteworthy slot in this listing is R&B legend Luther Vandross, who died of a stroke in 2005 at age 54. Vandross came in at number 10 with US$21 million.

His estate pocketed roughly US$20 million for a stake of his publishing and master recording income streams, which include songs like his 1981 breakthrough tune Never Too Much, the lead single off his album of the same name that shot up the charts and earned his two Grammy nominations. Vandross sold 40 million records worldwide over his 30-year career, said the popular publication.

Forbes magazine is published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. Forbes also reports on related subjects such as technology, communications, science, politics, and law.