Most lucrative recording contract

In March 2010, nine months after the singer's death, the estate of Michael Jackson (USA, 1958–2009) brokered a recording contract with Sony Music Entertainment worth a staggering $250 million (then £165 million). The agreement, the largest ever in the music industry, demanded 10 albums of previously unreleased songs and repackaged existing material over a period of seven years. The deal covers the exclusive licensing of Jackson's music for use in videogames, films, etc., but does not grant Sony income from publishing, merchandise sales, live shows based on the singer's career, licensing his name and image, etc.

Other lucrative recording contracts include Live Nation deals with Madonna ($120 million) in 2007 and Jay Z ($150 million) in 2008, Sony's $100-million contract with Bruce Springsteen in 2005 and EMI's partnerships with Robbie Williams ($150 million) in 2002 and Mariah Carey ($100 million) in 2001.

In the nine months between his death on 25 June 2009 and the Sony contract in March 2010, more than 31 million Michael Jackson albums were sold worldwide, helping to offset the reported $500 million of debt that Jackson had amassed at the time of his death.

Jackson comfortably remains the 'highest-earning dead celebrity'. According to Forbes, he made $140 million (£87.5 million) in the 12 months to October 2014, down from the $160 million (£99 million) he earned the previous year.

The remix album Immortal (2011), the 25th anniversary edition of Bad (2012) and an album of previously unheard songs, Xscape (2014), featuring the top 10 single "Love Never Felt So Good", were the first releases under the terms of the contract.

Sony was rumoured to have up to 60 unreleased Jackson songs in their vaults.