Prince’s Money Update: Net Worth, Estate Expected To Grow After Singer’s Death

UPDATE: 7:45 p.m. EDT -- Prince's remains were cremated Saturday, publicist Yvette Noel-Schure told the Associated Press. Details of the "final storage" of the remains of the singer, who died Thursday at age 57, will remain private, she said.

The official cause of the singer's death remains unknown. Autopsy results might not be revealed for at least four weeks, the AP reported.

Original story:

Music icon Prince, who died Thursday at age 57 in Minnesota, left behind more than a legacy — he left behind an estimated $300 million estate with no obvious heirs. Prince not only had profits from shows and songs but also ownership of his record studio, unreleased music and an internationally recognized brand that could keep earning money for years, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"There's tremendous value there," estate planner Martin Neumann told the Times. "For someone like Prince who's been around for so long, obviously the value of his catalog will increase after his death, significantly more so than for other people."

It's not clear whether Prince, whose cause of death was still unknown Saturday, had a will. If not, Minnesota law dictates that a spouse or kids would normally receive control of the estate. But Prince was divorced and had no living children. His parents are also deceased, though he does have a sister, Tyka Nelson.

No matter whom it goes to, Prince's fortune is likely to keep growing.

“All of our clients have these really valuable rights the same as Prince, and when they’re gone they explode,” lawyer Laura Zwicker told the Wrap. She pointed to Michael Jackson's 2009 death as an example.

As of Saturday, Prince had the top 16 songs on iTunes, among them "Purple Rain" and "Little Red Corvette." He had 57 songs in total on the top 100 chart, Spin reported.

The artist could also see pumped-up profits because he was famously averse to streaming services like Spotify or YouTube, according to the Wall Street Journal. He licensed his work only to Jay-Z's Tidal service, which means grieving fans have to purchase physical and digital copies of his records. For example, experts told Billboard the album "The Very Best of Prince" likely sold more than 150,000 units last week.

Depending on who now owns the catalog, Reuters reported it was possible Prince tunes could end up on TV shows and in video games. Zwicker, meanwhile, noted that his likeness could become a touring hologram.