Lisa Marie Presley Net Worth (Updated 2024)

What was Lisa Marie Presley’s Net Worth?

Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley, had a complicated financial journey throughout her life. At the time of her death, her net worth was reported to be around -$10 million, meaning she had more debt than assets. This negative net worth was due to various factors including her own spending habits and legal battles.

Elvis Presley, Lisa’s father, left his estate to her when he passed away in 1977. However, after estate taxes, debts, and fees, she initially inherited only $1 million, which would be roughly $5 million in today’s money. Her mother managed the estate until Lisa turned 25 in 1990, at which point she inherited around $100 million, equivalent to about $220 million today.

Despite this substantial inheritance, Lisa faced financial challenges over the years. She sued a former business manager, alleging mismanagement of her funds and claiming her trust had dwindled to just $14,000 by 2015. Additionally, during a divorce proceeding in 2018, Lisa stated she was in debt by $16 million, including $1 million owed to the IRS. She disclosed assets such as stocks, bonds, and cash, but also significant monthly expenses.

Her ex-husband, Michael Lockwood, contested her financial claims, suggesting she received a substantial monthly income from the Elvis Presley Enterprises trust, possibly ranging from $100,000 to $200,000. He also alleged that she still controlled valuable assets, including a trust worth up to $65 million and a 15% stake in Elvis Presley Enterprises. Lisa also owned Graceland, her father’s famous estate.

Despite her financial struggles, Lisa Marie Presley maintained a musical career, releasing several albums and singles, including collaborations with her late father. Her debut album, “To Whom It May Concern,” achieved gold certification in the United States.

Here’s the breakdown of her net worth:

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$35 Million Life Insurance

Following Lisa Marie’s death, reports emerged indicating that she possessed three life insurance policies. These policies were set to pay out a total of $35 million to her three surviving daughters.

Early Life

Presley was born on February 1, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. Her parents, Elvis and Priscilla Presley, divorced when she was young, and she primarily lived with her mother in Los Angeles while frequently visiting her father at Graceland in Memphis.

When Elvis passed away in August 1977, nine-year-old Presley became a joint heiress to his estate along with her grandfather, Vernon Presley, and great-grandmother, Minnie Mae Presley. She eventually became Elvis’ sole heir upon the passing of her grandfather in 1979 and great-grandmother in 1980. By her 25th birthday in 1993, Presley inherited an estimated $100 million from her father’s estate. In 2004, she sold 85 percent of the estate.

In the late 1970s, Presley attended her first rock concert, seeing Queen at The Forum in Inglewood, California. She gave Freddie Mercury a scarf of her father’s and expressed her love for theatrics. After her father’s death, her mother dated actor Michael Edwards, whom Presley later accused of inappropriate behavior in a 2003 Playboy interview. Presley has a half-brother, Navarone Garibaldi, from her mother’s relationship with Marco Garibaldi.

In 1997, Presley made a video for the song “Don’t Cry Daddy,” featuring a posthumous duet with her father. The video was presented at a tribute concert commemorating the 20th anniversary of Elvis’ death on August 16, 1997. It combined Elvis’ original vocals with new instrumentation and Lisa Marie’s vocals.

Career

To Whom It May Concern

From 2003 to 2005, Lisa Marie Presley came onto the music scene with her debut album, “To Whom It May Concern,” dropping on April 8, 2003. It made waves, hitting No. 5 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and snagging a gold certification in June 2003. Presley penned all the lyrics herself, with just one exception, “The Road Between,” which she co-wrote with Gus Black. She also had a hand in crafting every melody on the album. To spread the word, she even performed a concert in the UK.

The album’s lead single, “Lights Out,” made some noise too, climbing to No. 18 on the Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 chart and hitting No. 16 on the UK charts. Notably, she teamed up with Billy Corgan to create “Savior,” which was included as a B-side. Reviewing the album, Los Angeles Times critic Robert Hilburn praised its stark, uncompromising tone and highlighted Presley’s gutsy, bluesy voice as a standout feature.

In May 2003, Presley joined forces with Pat Benatar for VH1 Divas Duets, a concert benefiting the VH1 Save the Music Foundation, held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Their rendition of Benatar’s hit “Heartbreaker” was a hit, and Presley continued to include it in her own concert tours. Additionally, she contributed a recording of “Silent Night” to the NBC Holiday Collection, Sounds of the Season.

Now What and further singles

Between 2005 and 2012, Lisa Marie Presley continued her musical journey with the release of her second album, “Now What,” on April 5, 2005. This album peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Presley co-wrote 10 songs for the album and also included covers of Don Henley’s “Dirty Laundry” (the first single, reaching No. 36 on the Billboard 100 AC singles chart) and the Ramones’ “Here Today and Gone Tomorrow.” Notably, “Idiot” takes aim at various men in her life. Unlike her debut album, “Now What” featured a Parental Advisory sticker. Pink made a guest appearance on the track “Shine,” while a cover of Blue Öyster Cult’s “Burnin’ for You” served as a B-side. The music video for “Dirty Laundry,” directed by Patrick Hoelck, featured a cameo from singer George Michael.

In 2006, Presley participated in “Too Tough to Die: A Tribute to Johnny Ramone,” a documentary celebrating the life of Johnny Ramone. The film included a benefit concert featuring various artists, including Presley, to commemorate the Ramones’ 30th anniversary and raise funds for cancer research.

Presley also made an appearance in the music video for Johnny Cash’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” in 2006. The video, directed by Tony Kaye and produced by Rick Rubin, won a Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video in 2008.

In August 2007, Presley released a new version of “In the Ghetto,” originally recorded by her father, Elvis Presley, in 1969. The updated version featured Lisa “duetting” with her late father and reached No. 1 on iTunes sales and No. 16 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 singles chart. The song was recorded to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s passing, with proceeds from the single benefiting the Presley Place Transitional Housing Campus in New Orleans. Presley performed the song with the Harlem Gospel Choir on The Oprah Winfrey Show, using vintage footage of her father.

In October 2009, Presley joined singer Richard Hawley on stage in London, where she lent her vocals to a song they had been collaborating on called “Weary.” The two formed a songwriting partnership, with Presley writing the lyrics and Hawley composing the music. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Presley revealed that she was recording a new album in London, slated for release in 2011.

Storm & Grace and final releases

Between 2012 and 2018, Lisa Marie Presley released her third album, “Storm & Grace,” on May 15, 2012. She described it as more rooted and organic than her previous work. Produced by Oscar and Grammy winner T Bone Burnett, the album received positive reviews. AllMusic called it “stronger” and “more mature,” while Spinner.com hailed it as the “strongest album of her career.” Entertainment Weekly praised the single “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” for its “smoky, spooky” vibe. T-Bone Burnett, the producer, commended Presley’s honesty and soulfulness in her music, stating that he believed her father, Elvis Presley, would be proud of her.

In 2018, Presley collaborated on the title track of the compilation “Where No One Stands Alone,” featuring her father’s gospel songs. The song was transformed into a duet between Presley and her late father, with a music video incorporating scenes of them together.

Memoir

In January 2024, Riley Keough, Presley’s daughter, disclosed that before her passing, Presley recorded audio tapes for a memoir. Keough further mentioned that she transcribed the contents of these tapes into a book after her mother’s demise. Sanyu Dillon, the President of Random House Group, confirmed that Random House intends to publish Presley’s memoir. The untitled memoir is set to hit the shelves on October 15, 2024. Riley will narrate the audiobook version, which will feature “never-before-heard recollections” in Presley’s own voice.

Charity work and humanitarian efforts

Presley’s charity work includes founding the Presley Charitable Foundation (PCF) in 2007, later renamed The Presley Foundation Inc. in 2022. The foundation provides housing, childcare, counseling, and other support services to homeless families through initiatives like Presley Place. Additionally, it funds the Elvis Presley Music Room, offering music education to children. Presley also joined Oprah Winfrey’s Angel Network to aid Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, providing assistance in Memphis and distributing supplies in Mississippi.

She supported the Dream Factory charity in London, attending fundraising events and pledging to become a patron. Her involvement helped raise $59,000 for terminally ill children. Presley also contributed to music education through the Grammy Foundation’s Gold Grammy Signature Schools program and presented awards at events like the Memphis Recording Academy Honors. She engaged with music students during a Grammy SoundCheck session in LA, discussing career opportunities in the industry.

Awards and honors

In 2011, Lisa Marie Presley received recognition for her charitable work. The governor of Tennessee, Bill Haslam, declared a special day in her honor.

Additionally, the mayor of New Orleans, Mitchell J. Landrieu, awarded her a Certificate of Proclamation for her dedication to the city. Similarly, the city of Memphis issued a proclamation acknowledging her philanthropic contributions.

Personal Life

In 2005, Presley shared glimpses of her personal life in the TV movie “Elvis by the Presleys.”

From 2010 to 2016, she resided in a 15th-century manor house in Rotherfield, East Sussex, England, near the headquarters of the Church of Scientology.

Presley openly discussed her battle with opioid addiction. She wrote the foreword for the book “United States of Opioids: A Prescription for Liberating a Nation in Pain” (2019), revealing her dependency on opioids after giving birth to twin daughters in 2008. She admitted to using opioids again in the weeks leading up to her death in January 2023.

Relationships and children

In 1988, Lisa Marie Presley married musician Danny Keough. They had two children: Riley Keough, born in 1989, and Benjamin Storm Keough, born in 1992. Presley divorced Keough in 1994. Benjamin tragically passed away in 2020 at the age of 27.

In 1994, just 20 days after her divorce from Keough, Presley married singer Michael Jackson. They had met in 1974 and developed a friendship in the early 1990s, with Presley offering support during Jackson’s legal troubles. They divorced in 1996.

Presley briefly got engaged to musician John Oszajca in 1999, but they broke off the engagement in 2001. Shortly after, she married actor Nicolas Cage in 2002, but they divorced in 2004.

Presley and Keough remained close after her divorce from Jackson. In 2006, she married guitarist Michael Lockwood, with whom she had twin daughters in 2008. They divorced in 2016, and amid allegations, their children were briefly placed in the care of Priscilla Presley in 2017. The divorce was finalized in 2021.

Scientology

Presley and Isaac Hayes, both Scientologists, launched the Literacy, Education and Ability Program (LEAP) in October 1997 to help children with study skills. Presley received the Humanitarian Award from the World Literacy Crusade, a Scientology-affiliated group, in 2002 for her work with US children.

Critics view the World Literacy Crusade as a front for Scientology. Presley also spoke out against medication for ADHD at a US congressional hearing in 2002, advocating for drug-free approaches to education and behavioral issues.

As the International Spokesperson for Children’s Rights for the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), a Scientology-associated organization, Presley urged parents to consider alternatives to drugs for their children’s educational and medical needs.

Presley distanced herself from Scientology in 2014, citing dissatisfaction with the organization dating back to 2008.

Elvis Presley Estate

After Elvis Presley’s passing in 1977, his will designated his father, Vernon Presley, as executor and trustee. The trust beneficiaries included Vernon, Elvis’ grandmother Minnie Mae Presley, and Lisa Marie. Lisa Marie’s share was to be held in trust until she turned 25. Following Vernon’s death in 1979 and Minnie Mae’s in 1980, Lisa Marie became the sole beneficiary.

In 1993, on her 25th birthday, Lisa Marie inherited her father’s estate, which had grown to an estimated $100 million under her mother’s management.

In 1998, Lisa Marie took a more active role in managing the Elvis Presley Trust and Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. She sold 85% of the estate’s business holdings to CKX, Inc. in 2005, except for Graceland and its property.

After Lisa Marie’s passing, her three daughters were expected to inherit Graceland. However, her mother, Priscilla, contested a 2016 amendment to Lisa Marie’s estate plan, which named Lisa Marie’s two eldest children as trustees after Priscilla was removed. With one of the named trustees, Benjamin, tragically passing away in 2020, Riley became the sole trustee.

In February 2012, Lisa Marie opened the “Elvis … Through His Daughter’s Eyes” exhibit at Graceland, showcasing 200 items that reflect her experience growing up with her famous father.

Additionally, in November 1975, Elvis named one of his private planes, a converted Convair 880 jet, after Lisa Marie. The Lisa Marie, along with another plane called Hound Dog II, are now on display at Graceland.

Death

On January 12, 2023, at around 10:30 a.m., Lisa Marie Presley suffered a cardiac arrest at her home in Calabasas, California. Despite efforts to revive her en route to West Hills Hospital in Los Angeles, she passed away later that day at the age of 54. The autopsy revealed that her death was caused by a “small bowel obstruction” resulting from bariatric surgery she had undergone. The presence of opioids in her system was determined not to have contributed to her death.

Presley’s final public appearance was two days earlier at the 80th Golden Globe Awards, which she attended with her mother. Her public memorial service at Graceland on January 22 was attended by hundreds, with over 1.5 million people watching via live stream. She was laid to rest in the Graceland Meditation Garden, next to her son Benjamin and beside her father Elvis.

Numerous individuals paid tribute at her memorial service, including her mother, surviving children, family friend Jerry Schilling, former Memphis mayor A. C. Wharton, singers Axl Rose and Billy Corgan, Sarah, Duchess of York, gospel quartet The Blackwood Brothers, singer Alanis Morissette, and director Baz Luhrmann and actor Austin Butler from the Elvis biopic.