Michael Jackson was ’the highest-paid dead celebrity of 2018,’ but the singer died in debt. Here are some of the most extravagant things he spent his fortune on.

• Michael Jackson was known as the King of Pop, and he had the crown jewels to show for it.
• While the “Thriller” singer is said to have been a millionaire who lived like a billionaire, he actually died millions of dollars in debt.
• But Forbes reported that the performer’s estate has made millions more since his death – from both auctions of his collections and memorabilia and music that’s still being played and marketed today.
• Jackson bought and renovated the Neverland Ranch he lived on – outfitting the property with a zoo, theme park, train station, and arcade. He also bought jewelry as gifts for friends like Elizabeth Taylor, and he even purchased a pet monkey named Bubbles, among other things.
• While the prices Jackson paid for certain items aren’t confirmed, take a look at some of the more extravagant – and sometimes unusual – things he spent his money on and collected over the years.
• Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

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Michael Jackson topped Forbes’ list of the highest-paid dead celebrities of 2018 after raking in around $400 million that year alone.

Source: Forbes

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But before he died, the singer was millions of dollars in debt. According to William R. Ackerman, a forensic accountant, Jackson was spending thousands of dollars more than he was making.

Source: Los Angeles Times, Money

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Ackerman, who testified in a 2013 case involving the singer, said Jackson was making $30 million-a-year payments toward his debt at the time of his death, according to Newsweek. But Ackerman said he was simultaneously spending lavishly on things like jewelry.

Source: Newsweek

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It wasn’t a secret that the king of pop had a bizarre fleet of collectibles, but it wasn’t until he died and things were put up for auction that the public got to see the full roster.

Source: The Richest, Reuters

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He owned the gloves Johnny Depp's character wore in "Edward Scissorhands" ...

Source: TIME, Billboard, CNN, Forbes

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... several replicas of his own face in different expressions ...

Source: The Richest

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... a robotic replica of his head, as seen in the "Moonwalker" film starring Jackson ...

Source: Go Social, The Richest

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... and life-size figures of fictional crime fighters like Batman ...

Source: The Richest

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... Superman ...

Source: The Richest

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... and Spider-Man.

Source: The Richest

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He also had figures of sci-fi characters like E.T. ...

Source: Getty Images

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... Yoda ...

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... and villains Darth Vader.

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His Neverland Ranch featured a fully functioning arcade with loads of games available for playing.

Source: Associated Press

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The arcade was in the pool house on the property, according to The Associated Press.

Source: Associated Press

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According to NBC, Jackson paid $1.5 million for the Academy Award statue that was awarded to 1939's best-picture winner, "Gone With the Wind."

Source: NBC, Reuters

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He displayed the statue on a rotating stand next to the fireplace in the home's main living room, according to NBC.

Source: NBC

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Forbes reported that Jackson purchased the oil on canvas painting seen below for $46,000. The painting, called "Cleopatra's Last Moments," was signed by the artist, D. Pauvert, and dated 1892.

Source: Forbes

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The Neverland Ranch was an enormous expense for Jackson. Entertainment Weekly reported that the singer paid $19.5 million for it in 1988.

Source: Entertainment Weekly, Business Insider

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Jackson also made additions to the property and house, like the Disney Parks-themed train station ...

Source: Business Insider

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... a working train that passed through the station ...

Source: Business Insider

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... and bronze statues of children that littered the property and could be seen from the train as it went around the grounds.

Source: Business Insider

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Some of the statues were available for purchase at the 2009 auction.

Source: Getty Images

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Entertainment Weekly reported that, at one point, it cost Jackson $10 million to keep up the ranch and all of its amenities, including the train, theme park, zoo, and theater.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

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Neverland Ranch was filled with hints of glitz on the inside, too, like the gold-colored gooselike spout on the star's bathtub.

Source: Associated Press

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While the amount he spent on building and furnishing Neverland Ranch hasn't been confirmed ...

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... certain items like the front gate, pictured here, had an estimated price tag of up to $30,000, according to Forbes.

Source: Forbes

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Jackson wasn't living at the ranch at the time of his death, though. He was paying $100,000 a month to rent this mansion in Los Angeles' Bel Air neighborhood, according to Forbes.

Source: Forbes

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He also collected cars, like this personalized Rolls-Royce limousine.

Source: The Travel

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The limousine was customized by Jackson and featured leather seats and an embellished ceiling.

Source: The Richest, Hot Cars

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Jackson's spending didn't stop at cars. In the early '80s, he famously purchased a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles.

Source: The Richest

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According to Newsweek, Jackson's "extreme debt" dates back to 1994, when he owed $30 million.

Source: Newsweek

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Billboard reported that it was the 1993 legal battle — when Jackson was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy — that benchmarked the turning point in Jackson's career, as well as his mental, physical, and financial health.

Source: Billboard

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Jackson paid the family $25 million in 1994, according to NBC News.

Source: NBC News

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While he was spending on going to trial in the '90s, Jackson was still making money. He was collecting about $75 million a year during that time from owning the rights to his music library, as well as that of the Beatles — which he bought for $47.5 million in 1985 — according to the Daily News. Still, he spent more than he made.

Source: The Daily News, Business Insider

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The 2009 auction was actually planned before the singer died in June 2009. It was set to feature items belonging to Jackson himself and collectors around the world.

Source: Forbes

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At the 2009 auction, the iconic white-spandex Swarovski-encrusted glove that became synonymous with the King of Pop sold for $350,000.

Source: Reuters

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Julien's auction house estimated the worn-in, sweat-stained glove would sell for up to $200,000.

Source: Forbes

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Forbes reported that just before the auction was set to take place, Jackson had made between $200 million and $300 million from his planned London concert tour.

Source: Forbes

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The day before the first public exhibit of belongings on offer, Jackson filed a lawsuit against Julien's to prevent the auction from happening. The suit ultimately resulted in Jackson paying a reported $2 million worth of expenses — plus an undisclosed additional amount — Julien's had already taken on in planning the auction.

Source: Forbes

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Since his death, Jackson's belongings, like this "Smooth Criminal" hat and family notebook ...

Source: Reuters, Billboard, Associated Press

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... and memorabilia, have been auctioned off around the world for thousands of dollars.

Source: Reuters, Billboard

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But, that doesn't necessarily mean the singer paid high prices for those things when he first acquired them.

Source: Reuters

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Even so, the things he did spend on — like the acres and acres of trimmed grounds at the Neverland Ranch — set him back quite a lot.