Earning millions of euros is for very few people, but Elvis Presley still succeeds 45 years after his death. In 2021, the relatives of the deceased singer received about 30 million euros. Where does that income come from?
By Michiel VosWhen Elvis Presley dies of a heart attack on August 16, 1977, he is no longer the hit machine he once was. In recent years, new music is regularly released, but nothing scores as well as before. Despite his deteriorating health condition, he continues to perform for a long time: a few weeks before his death he gave his last concert.
Shortly after his death, a live version of Presley’s rendition of My Way as single. The song is awarded a gold disc, because it has been sold a million times.
In 2002 Presley managed to write his second major posthumous hit. The Dutch DJ Junkie XL then takes off with the song that appeared in 1968 A Little Less Conversation. The new version becomes an international number 1 hit and even one of the best selling songs of the year in the UK.
Although no new music by Presley appears, compilation albums of his work continue to sell well for decades. With the rise of streaming services, the Presley family is getting a new source of income. On Spotify, quite a few of his songs have had over a hundred million listens. Can’t Help Falling In Love With You is his most listened to song with over 568 million streams.
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Pilgrimage to Graceland
Forbes publishes every year a list of the highest-earning deceased celebrities, which Presley is in every year. This shows that the relatives of the singer earn a lot from Graceland, the estate where Elvis’ villa is located and where an extensive museum about his life is now located.
In 2019, Presley is still in second place in the list with an income of 39 million. That subsides somewhat in corona time, because Graceland can receive fewer visitors. Nevertheless, the annual income in 2020 is still estimated at 23 million. A year later, that rises again to 30 million euros.
Graceland in Memphis is visited by more than half a million people every year. The cheapest way to visit Presley’s villa costs about 75 euros for an adult. If you want to go on a tour with a guide, you will quickly end up with about 150 euros per person. There is also a hotel with 450 rooms that is managed at the estate, where a night costs about 200 euros.
Graceland isn’t complete without a store full of Elvis merchandise, of course. You can buy everything from mugs to socks and from T-shirts to necklaces and sunglasses. Those who do not want to make the pilgrimage to Presley’s house can also order a large part of the items online.
Elvis as secret agent
Presley’s ex-wife Priscilla and his daughter Lisa-Marie are committed to keeping the legend of ‘The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ alive. For example, they were involved in the making of the film Elvis from director Baz Luhrmann who hit theaters earlier this year. The film in which Austin Butler plays the lead role, alongside Tom Hanks who plays Presley’s manager, has already grossed almost 250 million euros worldwide.
Shortly after the film’s release, the film sparked a renewed interest in Presley’s music. According to billboard the number of streams went up 53 percent from the week before the film came out.
The animated series will be released later this year Agent King on Netflix, which Priscilla Presley is creating in collaboration with John Eddie. In it, the singer fakes his own death and then starts working as a secret agent. With all this renewed attention to The King, it could just be that his relatives are raking in even more money this year than before.
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