George Michael's staggering daily earnings from beyond the grave unveiled
The late pop icon George Michael made an eye-watering amount of money since his death thanks to a surge in record sales and TV deals.
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According to a coroner’s investigation, the songwriter and music producer, who would have turned 61 today, died after suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver.
He is one of the best-selling musicians of all time, with his sales estimated at between 100 million to 125 million records worldwide. His company Nobby’s Hobbies Holdings reported a staggering £20 million pre-tax profit on a £23.8million turnover.
Figures have taken into account several lucrative projects over a 12-month period which ended in 2023.
At a glance, the company made £20.6million in publishing income, £2.5million in record royalties, and an additional £600,000. In 2022, Netflix created a hit documentary about the band he started in, Wham!, and the film Freedom Uncut.
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His 1996 album Older was remastered and expanded, which increased the record's already huge sales.
In December 2023, almost 40 years after it was first released, George spent more than a month at number one when Wham!’s Last Christmas topped the festive charts.
Wham!’s Andrew Ridgeley said at the time: “George would be beside himself [that] after all of these years, [we’ve] finally obtained Christmas number one. Yog [George] said that he wrote Last Christmas with the intention of writing a Christmas number one. It’s mission accomplished!
“It was a huge disappointment to us both when it didn’t reach number one [in 1984] because, in our opinion, it was nailed-on … Thwarted for many years subsequent to that – the perennial bridesmaid – over recent years it seems it’s become part of the fabric of Christmas for a lot of people.”
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Speaking in 2017, Boy George, 62, said: “We had our squabbles, he was my rival, he was called George.
“He made soul music so everything he did it was like we were kind of battling all the time.”
George was renowned for giving back, despite his huge fame and fortune.
In his will, he left behind over £98million, which mostly went to his sisters.
The One Show presenter's parents Shirlie and Martin Kemp were set up by the late Wham! Singer. They decided to make him their first-born's godfather, with Roman going on to present a string of BBC shows.
George's godson said: "George was a man of great kindness and compassion. He meant so much to those who knew him. Especially children, who tonight are at the very heart of this Christmas carol service.
“Even though he's not here physically, he is certainly here with us in spirit. George was also my godfather and was there from the day from the day I was born. He helped inspire not only myself but so many others."
George Michael Entertainment said it was "deeply honoured" by the tribute and said George would have been "enormously proud and genuinely touched that a national institution should have decided to pay tribute to his memory in this way".
Sandra Deiana, the coin's designer, explained she wanted "a detailed portrait that captured his charismatic expression. I was particularly thinking of his iconic sunglasses".
The Royal Mint's Music Legends series also features artists such as David Bowie, Elton John, Queen, The Police and Dame Shirley Bassey.
