Every fall, Forbes puts out a list that sounds a little strange at first. It ranks the stars who have passed away by how much money they still earn.
And for most of the years since 2009, one name has sat at the top of it. Michael Jackson.
Forbes has tracked these earnings for 26 years. Since Michael passed away in 2009, somebody else has finished first only four times, counting this year. Elizabeth Taylor did it in 2012. Roald Dahl did it in 2021, and J.R.R. Tolkien did it in 2022. (Other stars have ranked above him in a few years without taking the top spot, but first place has almost always been his.)
The fourth name is brand new, and it’s someone Michael knew very well.
Forbes released its 2026 list on Oct. 30. Michael came in second, with an estimated $140 million between Oct. 1, 2025, and Sept. 30, 2026. That’s a huge year by any measure. Forbes says the “Michael” movie, which came out in April and made more than $1 billion around the world, helped push his total up.
But one man finished just ahead of him.
It was Quincy Jones, the legendary producer who made “Off the Wall,” “Thriller” and “Bad” with Michael. Forbes estimates Quincy earned $150 million over the same 12 months.
Here’s the twist that makes this one so fitting. Most of Quincy’s total came from a single deal. In March 2026, his heirs sold most of his music rights, including his own recordings and songs like “Soul Bossa Nova,” to a company called HarbourView Equity Partners. Forbes puts that deal at about $150 million.
And what made those rights so valuable? Forbes points to Quincy’s 10% producer royalties on those three Michael Jackson albums. MJVibe adds that the “Michael” movie sparked new interest in the albums Quincy produced.
So in a way, Michael’s own records helped the man who made them with him finish first. If you’ve never heard Quincy talk about those years in the studio, this interview is a treat, because it’s Quincy himself looking back on making “Thriller” with Michael.
Quincy Jones remembers making “Thriller” with Michael
The rest of the Forbes top 10 has some familiar faces. Dr. Seuss came in third at an estimated $80 million. Fourth place went to Elvis Presley, at $75 million, the father of Michael’s first wife, Lisa Marie.
Dolly Parton was fifth with $46 million. Bob Marley, Prince, Diane Keaton, John Lennon and George Harrison filled out the list.
All of these are Forbes estimates of earnings before taxes. Still, the picture is pretty clear. Michael’s music is still earning, and this year it lifted the man who produced it right along with him.
The timing makes it feel even more personal. Quincy was born on March 14, 1933, and he passed away in Los Angeles on Nov. 3, 2024, at 91. Tomorrow marks two years since he passed away.
Quincy and Michael spent years together in the studio building records that still sell today. Now those same records have helped put Quincy’s name at the top of the list, just one spot above Michael’s.