Every year, Forbes ranks the top-earning stars who have passed away. And every year since the list started in 2001, Elvis Presley has been on it.
He’s never even slipped out of the top 10. The Commercial Appeal newspaper put it simply: “Since Forbes initiated the list in 2001, Elvis has never been outside the top 10. From 2001-2005, he ranked No. 1.”
That’s 25 years of showing up. Over that stretch, the paper says, Elvis has earned more than $1.2 billion in total.
Last year was a quieter one for the King. He landed at No. 7 with $17 million, a few spots lower than fans are used to seeing him.
This year he bounced right back.
So why does Elvis keep pulling in this kind of money? Forbes pointed straight at Memphis. In its words, “the King’s popularity transcends music, drawing hundreds of thousands to his Graceland mansion each year and selling millions in licensed products.”
If you’ve never been, Graceland’s own video tour is the easiest way to see the home that still draws all those visitors.
Graceland’s own tour of Elvis’s home
Here’s the number. Forbes estimates Elvis earned $75 million between Oct 1, 2025 and Sept 30, 2026. That’s more than four times what he made the year before, and it’s enough to put him back at No. 4.
He’s been in that spot before. In 2024 he was also No. 4, with about $50 million. This year he beat that by a wide margin.
A big part of the story is the steady crowd at Graceland. People come from all over to walk through the rooms where Elvis lived, and there’s a lot more to see than the house. This fan’s full tour covers the mansion and the museum, plus his cars and planes, so you can see what all those visitors are lining up for.
A fan’s full walk through Graceland, from the mansion to the planes
The Commercial Appeal also pointed to something new in 2026. Director Baz Luhrmann released a concert film, “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert,” and it took in $23.5 million at the box office. That’s a lot of people buying tickets to watch Elvis sing on a big screen.
Then there’s the merchandise Forbes mentioned. Plenty of visitors want to take a little piece of Elvis home with them. Graceland’s own channel showed off one place they can do it, a gift shop and gallery that’s now open there for good.
Graceland shows off its gift shop and gallery
For the record, the three spots above Elvis this year went to music producer Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and Dr. Seuss.
Still, think about where Elvis sits. He’s been on this list for 25 straight years, and he spent the first five of them at No. 1. This year he made more than four times as much as last year, and Forbes gives a lot of the credit to the people who still want to stand in his living room.
So if those tours have you thinking about a trip to Memphis, you’d be in good company. According to Forbes, hundreds of thousands of people make it every year.