Gershwin died the richest composer ever

From the good old Guardian:

The music of George Gershwin has delighted millions of people across the world and he made a multi-million pound fortune from it. Now the creator of such classics as Summertime, Rhapsody In Blue and I Got Rhythm has topped a list of the richest composers of all time. Gershwin eclipsed such classical greats as Strauss, Verdi and Handel in the poll for Classic FM. The classical music station drew up the rich list based on estimates of earnings accrued in a composer's lifetime.

Gershwin made a multi-million pound fortune from hit musicals, including Porgy and Bess and Funny Face. He invested his money in art and left a substantial estate when he died in 1937. Second on the list is Johann Strauss, who charged more than £30,000 a time by today's prices for public appearances and an astonishing £830,000 for one conducting job in the US. Verdi came third, taking a commissioning fee of £166,000 for his everlasting opera Aida. Others on the list include Italian composer Rossini, who charged more than £3,000 for a single lesson, Rachmaninov, Puccini and Tchaikovsky.

Mozart, however, is absent. Despite enjoying fame during his lifetime, financial mismanagement left the composer penniless when he died at 35.

Full details of the composers' fortunes will be revealed in Composers' Notes, a new Classic FM series presented by John Suchet beginning on September 4.

Top 10:
1 George Gershwin
2 Johann Strauss II
3 Verdi
4 Rossini
5 Handel
6 Haydn
7 Rachmaninov
8 Puccini
9 Paganini
10 Tchaikovsky