MUMBAI: With her estate pulling in $210 million, much of it from the auction of her jewels, costumes and artwork, Elizabeth Taylor has edged out Michael Jackson as the highest-earning dead celebrity in the last year, said Forbes.
Jackson, who died in 2009, dropped to the second spot with earnings of $145 million. He was followed by Elvis Presley with $55 million.
In addition to the Taylor auction that totaled $184 million, the actress also earned $75 million from sales of her top selling perfume White Diamonds. The rest of the money came from property sales and residuals from her film," it is gathered. After Cleopatra, the star had negotiated a 10 per cent ownership in each of her films."
Although Taylor bumped Jackson from the top spot, Forbes said the pop star is likely to regain it next year due to steady revenues from music sales and other ventures.
Cartoonist Charles Schulz, who created the Peanuts comic strip, came in at No. 4 with earnings of $37 million, followed by reggae star Bob Marley with $17 million.
Forbes compiled the ranking by analysing the dead celebrities‘ earnings between October 2011-2012. Films stars and musicians dominated the list but Nobel-prize winning physicist Albert Einstein tied with Marilyn Monroe for seventh place, with each earning $10 million.
The 13 dead celebrities on the list earned a total of $532.5 million.