Elvis Presley, 'The King of Rock and Roll' is one of the most — and perhaps the most — popular music artists of all time. Over the course of his career, he sold over 600 million records. Many of his biggest songs, such as 'Jailhouse Rock', 'Viva Las Vegas', and 'If I Can Dream' have become classics. His rags-to-riches story of the boy from Tupelo, Mississippi, who became the biggest star in America has been an inspiration to many. Yet, when the King passed away in 1977, his estate (after tax deductions) was worth only $1 million.In the years since his death, his former wife Priscilla Presley has worked hard to secure his legacy, and turn his Graceland mansion into an extremely successful museum and the second most visited home in the US after the White House. But has she been able to turn around the fortunes of the Presley estate?Updated October 19th, 2022: Elvis Presley's former wife has continued to build his estate, creating an impressive net worth and a whole host of new opportunities for fans to relive Elvis' fame and success.
8 At Just 22, Elvis Was Rich Enough To Purchase Graceland
From humble beginnings in a one-room house with his parents, Elvis went on to achieve fame and success of the kind he could never have imagined as a child. His drastically improved financial status soon allowed him to buy anything he desired: cars, clothes, custom guitars, and more.
A beautiful home to share with his friends and family, however, was top of the list. In 1957, the 'Blue Suede Shoes' singer bought Graceland for $102,500 (which, adjusting for inflation, is over $1 million today).
7 Elvis Often Earned $1 Million Per Performance
Elvis's success was such that he could expect enormous amounts for his public performances. According to Celebrity Net Worth, at the peak of Elvis’ success, he would make $1 million per show.
All those shows, album sales, merchandise revenue, and movie deals, quickly added up and made Elvis an extremely wealthy man.
6 Unfortunately, The Big Earner Was Also A Big Spender
While big purchases like Graceland won't have been a large portion of Elvis's money, the expenses soon began to snowball. Sure enough, Elvis's spending habits began to slide into excess.
He was extraordinarily generous, gifting Cadillac cars and jewelry on a whim, and liked to spoil himself and others around him, buying horses, extravagant furniture, and even a plane.
His divorce from Priscilla in 1972 was also costly. According to People's description of the auctioned-off court documents, Priscilla received Elvis' 1971 Mercedes-Benz, a 1969 Cadillac Eldorado, a 1971 Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and $100,000 in apparent cash.
The courts also awarded Priscilla half of the sales amounts from three homes the couple owned in California.
5 Elvis' Net Worth Plummeted Post-Divorce
By the time Elvis died prematurely at the age of 42, there was very little of his money left. Before taxes, there was just $5 million to his name — a fortune, certainly, but a tiny portion of what he had earned over his two-decade career.
Elvis bequeathed his estate to his father, grandmother, and young daughter Lisa Marie. At 25, Lisa Marie took charge of the estate.
4 Priscilla Oversaw The Rebuilding Of Elvis's Estate
​​​​​​​
Following Elvis's death, his former wife Priscilla took over management of his estate, which had fallen to $1 million after taxes on Graceland and its maintenance.
​​​​​​​Priscilla began the process of turning Graceland into a museum and also founded Elvis Presley Enterprises, settling the star's debts and putting plans in place to restore his legacy and secure the future of the beautiful Memphis estate.
3 Elvis Is Now Worth Over A Hundred Times More
​​​​​​​
Priscilla has been very successful in transforming the fortunes of her ex-husband's estate. She worked tirelessly to restore the building, buying back many items of furniture and memorabilia which had been associated with the building, putting the stables back into use, and bringing the home back to how it had been in Elvis's time.
The improvements and opening of the late star's home to the public soon saw thousands of visitors pouring in from not just across America, but the entire world.
Through marketing his luxurious home to the public, Priscilla took her late husband's fortune from a paltry $1 million to over $100 million.
2 Today, Elvis Is One Of The World's Richest Dead Celebrities
​​​​​​​
This enormous change in fortune has served to make Elvis richer now than he perhaps ever was during his lifetime.
He is uncontested as the most successful solo artist of all time, and recent films about his life have revived fans' interest in the late star.
​​​​​​​Millions of dollars in music sales and Graceland takings resulted in a $20 million net worth for the King's estate in 2022.
1 Elvis' Estate Continues To Launch Products
Though Elvis Presley has been gone a long time, his estate continues to release new products, like a fragrance line at Macy's, and film projects are in the works, too.
The iconic performer's name lives on, especially as more Elvis-centered content continues to be produced (and add to the King's posthumous net worth).