Michael Jackson tops Forbes' highest-earning dead celebrities list

As it turns out, being dead is pretty lucrative.

The late king of pop Michael Jackson moon-walked his way to the top of Forbes' list of the highest-earning dead celebrities, with more than $140 million in earnings over the last 12 months.

This year, Jackson had his second posthumous album release with "Xscape", which debuted at No. 2 on Billboard charts. He also appeared on stage (in hologram form, of course) at the Billboard Music Awards.

Coming in second is Elvis Presley with an estimated $55 million, his income due to tourism at Graceland and continued album sales.

Cartoonist Charles Schulz -- creator of the Peanuts characters -- ranks third with $40 million.

Elizabeth Taylor ranks fourth with $25 million in earnings, thanks to her best-selling perfume and films. And rounding out the top five is reggae singer Bob Marley with an estimated $20 million.

The 13 celebrities on the list brought in a combined $365 million in earnings.

Forbes' complete list of the highest-paid dead celebrities can be found here.