The production budget for Baz Luhrmann's 2022 film Elvis was $85 million, a figure confirmed by multiple sources like Variety and The Numbers. Despite some early confusion about higher numbers, this $85 million budget was for the filmmaking itself, not including marketing costs, and the movie was a significant financial success, grossing over $288 million worldwide.
Elvis Presley had a net worth of $5 million when he died on Aug. 16, 1977, according to CelebrityNetWorth, a website that estimates the wealth and finances of celebrities. Adjusted for inflation, that $5 million equals close to $26 million today.
Production resumed in September, wrapping in March 2021. Elvis premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 25, 2022, and was released in Australia on June 23 and in the United States on June 24, by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was a commercial success, grossing over $288 million worldwide against an $85 million budget.
It's a debate with no single answer, as Elvis Presley was bigger in US chart dominance (114 Top 40 hits vs. MJ's 36) and pioneering rock, while Michael Jackson achieved greater global reach, international tours, and broader multimedia influence (music videos, dance). Both are among the biggest artists ever, selling over a billion records, but Elvis was the original King of Rock, while Jackson became the King of Pop with unparalleled global cultural saturation.
At the time of his death, the King of Rock and Roll was in debt. He had a net worth of $US5 million ($A7. 7 million), but owed the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) double that amount. The singer's ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, shared her struggle to retain Graceland.
Did you know that the legendary singer and actor, Elvis Presley, earned over a billion dollars throughout his somewhat short career? That's billion – with a B. However, when the “King of Rock & Roll” died in 1977, his estate's net worth was only $10 million.
Michael Jackson's estate pulled in $105 million in 2025 alone, but that's just one part of a much bigger story. Since his death in 2009, Jackson's estate has earned an estimated $3.5 billion, making him the highest-earning deceased celebrity since Forbes began tracking posthumous earnings in 2001.
Here are 2025's highest-earning dead celebrities:
Dolly Parton refused to let Elvis Presley record her song, "I Will Always Love You," because his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, demanded half the publishing rights, which Parton would not give up, believing the song was her most important copyright and retirement fund. Although Elvis loved the song and sang it to Priscilla Presley after their divorce, the deal fell through due to Parker's insistence on the publishing cut, a decision Parton later recognized as prescient when Whitney Houston made the song a global phenomenon.
1. Michael Jackson – The King of Pop and Performance Perfection.
While several films compete for the title, John Carter (2012) is often cited as the biggest flop due to massive losses (around $200-225 million after accounting for a $350m budget) and its impact, leading to studio head resignations, with The Lone Ranger (2013) also a contender for huge inflation-adjusted losses, and historically, Heaven's Gate (1980) is infamous for destroying a studio and changing the industry. Other major contenders include The Marvels, Mortal Engines, and Cutthroat Island, depending on whether you consider raw dollar loss or percentage loss, notes Screen Rant and DirecTV Insider.
The Elvis Presley family still earns an estimated $39 million annually from the sale and royalties of all of the entertainment he produced over his too-short life.
He paid $2,959,000 in income taxes. In today's money, that's $21,482,035 from personal appearances, $23,452,149 from music and $795,837 from movies, and $16,467,705 paid in taxes. Elvis would've paid $28,883.88 for those same jumpsuits in 2016. Elvis definitely enjoyed a few shopping sprees, too.
Elvis Presley's biggest hit is widely considered to be "It's Now or Never" (1960), his best-selling single ever, moving over 20 million copies worldwide and topping charts globally. Other massive hits include the iconic double-sided hit "Don't Be Cruel / Hound Dog" (1956), which dominated charts, and enduring classics like "Jailhouse Rock," "Love Me Tender," and "Suspicious Minds".
16 Iconic Vehicles From Elvis's Car Collection
Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe apparently had a clandestine affair. Tons of tabloids and biographers have claimed that the two icons engaged in a secret romantic relationship in their time. According to these accounts, it was an on-and-off thing that continued sporadically over the years.
Oprah's grandmother's last name is Presley.
Elvis Presley's most controversial song wasn't just one track, but "Hound Dog," particularly his 1956 Milton Berle Show performance, sparked outrage for his suggestive hip-shaking, leading to him being dubbed "Elvis the Pelvis" and censored on TV. Other controversial songs included "Jailhouse Rock," criticized for glorifying crime, and later tracks like "In the Ghetto," which addressed poverty, challenging his image and fanbase.
The richest singer of all time is generally considered to be Jay-Z, with estimated net worths reaching billions, primarily from his music, record labels (Roc-A-Fella), fashion (Rocawear), and significant investments in alcohol brands (D'usse, Ace of Spades) and tech companies like Uber. Other music billionaires include Taylor Swift and Rihanna, while Paul McCartney is the wealthiest British musician, but Jay-Z consistently leads lists of the world's richest musicians due to his diverse business empire.
Yes, Taylor Swift is currently estimated to be richer than Beyoncé, with Forbes reporting Swift's net worth at approximately $1.6 billion in late 2024/early 2025, largely from her Eras Tour and music catalog, while Beyoncé's net worth is estimated around $700-$800 million, though she recently crossed the billionaire threshold. Swift became the first musician to reach billionaire status solely from her music and performances, surpassing Beyoncé's wealth.
Michael Jackson remains the ultimate symbol of posthumous success. According to Forbes, the King of Pop was once again named the highest-paid dead celebrity of 2025, earning an estimated $105 million over the past year, more than any other late icon by a wide margin.
Though his estate was worth an estimated $30 million at the time he passed away, Bob Marley did not create a will, believing that such a document showed an inappropriate concern with earthly matters. He died at the age of 36, May 11th, 1981.
Keep scrolling to be reminded of the biggest celebrities you've forgotten about—but shouldn't have.