One of the best-selling music artists of all time, Bob Marley was never confined to the world of fame and money. In addition to being a musician, he was also a philosopher who advocated simple yet powerful ideologies. The 1970s superstar with his songs and words has inspired generations to come. Truth, equality, love, peace, and liberty were all part of this Jamaican singer’s guiding principle.
“Money is numbers and numbers never end. If it takes money to be happy, your search for happiness will never end.” This is the philosophy that Bob Marley upheld when it came to money matters. Though a successful singer, Marley was a humble human being. So what do you think would have been the fortune that the artist at the time of his death? Here’s all about it.
Related: How Did Bob Marley Die?
Bob Marley’s Net Worth At The Time Of His Death
The reggae legend Bob Marley, according to Celebrity Net Worth had an estimated net worth of $32 million. The Jamming singer died at the age of 36, due to acral lentiginous melanoma, a form of skin cancer. He died in the year 1981 after cancer had spread from his toenail to his whole body. He was buried in a chapel near his birthplace in Jamaica alongside his Gibson Les Paul guitar.
The artist had about 75 million copies of his records sold worldwide. It is Bob Marley’s estate that rakes him money even in 2022, 40 years after his death. When dying, Marley had $11.5 million, which is accounted with the inflation would be $32 million today.
Bob Marley was eighth on the highest-earning dead celebrities list in 2020. The estate made around $14 million in 2020. In addition to this, there are other merchandises that help the Marleys still earn money. These include lighters, T-shirts, turntables, headphones, and speakers.
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Years-Long Legal Battle Over Marley’s Estate
Bob Marley never created a will. Thus with his death, there were problems related to his ownership of his estate. According to Jamaican law, the widow would get 10% of the estate followed by 45%, making it a total of 55%. And when the wife dies, the children are equally given the rights over the property.
However, Marley’s wife Rita got into a legal battle over her husband’s estate after she forged his signature on a document, as advised by one of her advisors. As a result, the Jamaican court put the estate under the care of Chris Blackwell, the owner of Island Records, the reggae legend’s record company. Finally, it was in 2001, that Rita and Marley’s 11 children were given rights over the estate.
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