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STILL EARNING: Michael Jackson

MICHAEL JACKSON has been named the world’s top earning dead celebrity of 2014.

The King of Pop raked in more than Elvis Presley with a sum total of $140m.

According to Forbes, he made almost three times as much as perennial list topper Presley, who made a relatively $55 million in earnings over the same 12-month period.

Jackson's estate made a fortune on the back of his second posthumous album release Xscape, which went straight in at number two in the charts.

His profile was further bolstered by an holographic performance on stage at the Billboard Music Awards.

His controversial appearance will no doubt pave the way for other dead celebrities as the technology advances to the point where we won’t be able to tell the difference.

Reggae legend Bob Marley came in at fifth with an estimated $20 million in earnings thanks to his face featuring on bags, T-shirts and even a line of fruit-flavored drinks.

Forbes compiled the list in conjunction with estate managers, agents, music publishers and other insiders, coming up with estimates of what each estate brought in between October 2013 and October 2014.