When it comes to record-breaking celebrities, there are all kinds of metrics that fans like to keep tabs on. Highest record sales, most movies acted in, most TV show cameos, and more.
But there's one unique record that Michael Jackson broke that no one really expected. And it happened almost ten years after his death.
Michael Jackson Broke This Staggering Record
Michael Jackson passed away in 2009, but his legacy continues to live on. And it does so in one very impressive way.
In 2018, the late singer's estate broke a crazy record; Michael Jackson earned more than $2 billion, all without the singer himself doing anything. Then again, Jackson also made the same record -- as the world's richest deceased person -- in countless years between 2010 and 2018.
Obviously, after Jackson died, his family inherited his money.
So when sales of his records skyrocketed, so did the estate's value. Plus, fans know that it wasn't just records (and digital downloads) that padded the pockets of Jackson's family. All kinds of memorabilia followed after his passing, from his original costumes to replicas to Halloween costumes to trinkets from past concerts and more.
People went crazy for everything MJ-branded, and his bottom line benefited -- even though he had passed away nearly a decade earlier.
The Estate Of Michael Jackson Is Rolling In The Dough
While Michael Jackson was only worth about $236 million upon his passing, he also had a lot of debt. So what happened when his estate began raking in the billions of dollars, that helped settle past debts.
Still, Jackson made more than four billion dollars while he was alive, but across the span of his career. And in death, he earned half that amount with no marketing or advertising efforts behind his music or memorabilia.
Where Is Michael Jackson's Billion-Dollar Wealth Now?
Of course, the funds funnel into a specific place: with MJ's family and causes near to his heart. His mother inherited part of his estate, while his three children received another, and 20 percent went to charity.
Jackson reportedly wasn't close with his sister Latoya, or the rest of his family, either -- apart from his mom. Because he cut some of them out of his will entirely, it sure seemed like there was more to the star's family ties than he ever revealed in life.
Of course, his kids seem to be doing well, or as well as can be expected without their famous dad. Paris Jackson has embarked on her own music career, and while the stakes likely aren't as high for her as they were for her father in his youth, she is paving her own way. Even if her dad's billions are lying in wait for her.
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