Net Worth: The Marvin Gaye Estate
Though Marvin Gaye was tragically murdered in April of 1984, the legacy he left behind through his iconic music still touches lives decades later.
His name has been in the news most frequently as of lately, however, as the family members in charge of his estate pursued a high-profile case against “Blurred Lines” creators Robin Thicke, Pharell Williams, and T.I.
“Blurred Lines” defined the summer of 2013 and whether or not you liked the song, you probably couldn’t escape it. Unfortunately for the three artists involved in the major hit, it’s also defined something else- copy-right infringement suits.
The Gaye family, which includes Marvin Gayes’ three children and his ex-wife Janis,sued the three creators of “Blurred Lines” for the song’s similarity to Marvin Gaye’s 1977 song, “Got to Give It Up”- and won.
In March 2018, the court ruled that Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams owed the Marvin Gaye estate $7,400,000 for “Blurred Lines” similarity to “Got to Give It Up.” The costly victory for the Gaye family certainly added to Marin Gaye’s estate.
Before the decision, the Gaye estate had an estimated worth of $5,000,000. That’s now been doubled,
and the Marvin Gaye estate is worth roughly $12,000,000.
This will undoubtedly increase even further as “Blurred Lines” continues generating revenue (so long as its sale is not prohibited). Also important to note is that Gaye’s family has also detected similarities to the late Marvin’s music in Pharrell’s music via his hit “Happy.” Janis currently says she won’t be pursuing a suit against Pharrell for it, but these things can change. Stay tuned.
