Michael Jackson the top earning dead celebrity

Michael Jackson has topped Forbes' list of the Top-Earning Dead Celebrities.

The slightly macabre list calculates which deceased celebrities have earned the most in the past year.

In the year since his death, Michael Jackson made $275 million, more than the other 12 celebrities on the list combined!

Michael also made more money than the combined earnings of this year's two biggest living acts, U2 and AC/DC.

Michael Jackson's huge posthumous earnings come from his share in the lucrative Sony/ATV catalog, the film This Is It and of course renewed fan interest in his music, videos and merchandise.

Elvis Presley came in second, with earnings in the range of $60 million. Other notable entries were JRR Tolkien in third place, and John Lennon in fifth place.