Michael Jackson is Forbes' highest-earning dead celebrity

Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Michael Jackson has been dead for more than eight years, but the King of Pop is still topping charts as Forbes' highest-earning dead celebrity of 2017, the publication announced Monday.

Jackson's estate earned more than $75 million this year -- the fifth year in a row Jackson topped Forbes dead celebrity list. The lucrative year was boosted by an animated Halloween special on CBS, a new compilation album released last month and an ongoing Cirque de Soleil tribute show, among other business ventures.

The estate recently underwent a $1 billion turnaround, Billboard reported, going from $500 million in debt to $500 million in cash.

Other dead celebrities that made the top five on the Forbes list were Arnold Palmer, who died last year but still earned $40 million in 2017 through golf apparel and Arizona beverages; Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, who earned $38 million with MetLife using his characters in advertisements; Elvis Presley, who continues to attract fans to Graceland; and Bob Marley, whose estate has used his likeness on audio products and beverages.

Another dead celebrity to make the list is Albert Einstein at No. 10, whose estate earned $10 million from companies using his likeness on an array of products, including posters and tablets.