Saturday 25 June 2011

Michael Jackson Making Billions Even Posthumously

It may seem hard to fathom, but Michael Jackson died almost one year ago and since his June 25 death in 2009, he has earned $1 billion. You read that right…that’s "Billion" with a "B." While Jackson was struggling with debts at the time of his death that resulted from long stretches of professional inactivity and catering to his own rather outlandish whims, it seems that his estate will continue to be solvent as his death at the age of 50 has not diminished his ability to sell. A record deal with Sony Music that extends through 2017 is the primary contributor to the newfound riches, though his wildly popular concert film is also responsible for creating all that revenue for MJ Inc.

Since his death, Jackson has sold nearly 9 million albums in the U.S. alone, with another 800,000 albums sold from the Jackson 5 and the Jacksons. Outside of the U.S., 24 million "units" have sold. Billboard Magazine estimates that the value of those sales is around $383 million. In addition to sales of actual records, there have also been 12.9 million track downloads in the U.S. over the past year, with another 26.5 million worldwide, resulting in another $34 million. Ringtone sales have accounted for even more in revenue, creating an additional $5 million in sales. Altogether, music accounts for $429 million in earnings since his death.

Film and television have also contributed mightily, with rehearsal footage going for $60 million to Sony Pictures. Sony then parlayed that footage into $72 million at the U.S. box office and another $188 million overseas. The "This Is It" DVD then did another $43 million in U.S. sales. Add it all

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