He’s the King of Pop even in death.
Jackson surpassed long-time pal Elizabeth Taylor as the top-earning dead celebrity, with his postmortem empire pulling in $160 million in the past year, according to Forbes.
Jackson, who died of an overdose in 2009, took the honors thanks to two Las Vegas shows, Cirque du Soleil’s “Immortal” and “One,” that pay tribute to the Gloved One.
Jackson’s estate raked in more than any pop star — living or dead — and easily beat Madonna, who ranks as the top earner on the magazine’s annual Celebrity 100 list.
The Jackson estate derives the bulk of its income from its 50 percent ownership of music publishing company Sony/ATV.
Jackson also far outstrips his nearest deceased rival, Elvis Presley, who came in at No. 2 with earnings of $55 million — a figure that’s been relatively static the past few years.
Elvis’ steady earnings power is one of the reasons that Apollo’s Core Media Group is shopping the rights to his name and likeness.
Taylor dropped from No. 1 to fourth place, with $25 million. Her earnings hit $210 million last year after a massive auction of her jewelry collection and personal effects.
Rounding out the list, Peanuts creator Charles Schulz came in third ($37 million) followed by Taylor ($25 million) and reggae singer Bob Marley ($18 million.)