Billionaire Pays $195K to Be Buried Near Marilyn Monroe
A technology investor paid $195,000 to secure a burial plot at a Los Angeles cemetery one row away from actress Marilyn Monroe, part of a growing trend of wealthy fans spending hundreds of thousands to be buried near their celebrity idols.
A U.S. billionaire has spent millions of baht to purchase a burial plot for himself, hoping to be a "neighbor" to the legendary actress Marilyn Monroe. In recent years, the United States has seen a trend of fans wanting to be buried near their favorite celebrities. Many are willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to rest eternally beside their idols after death, which has become a business model related to afterlife planning.
According to the New York Post, 62-year-old technology investor Anthony Jabin purchased a grave plot at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park in Los Angeles for $195,000 (approximately 6.4 million baht) in 2024. He paid this substantial sum to be buried near the legendary actress Marilyn Monroe, with his plot located just one row away from hers. Jabin stated that for him, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a "neighbor" to his all-time favorite actress, which made him feel very excited. He also revealed that for decades, he has laid flowers at Monroe's grave every year on her birthday, and his love and admiration for her has never changed.
This is not the first or only case. Hollywood Forever Cemetery, a famous cemetery in Los Angeles, revealed that many people have expressed a wish to be buried near celebrities they love. Grave plots in celebrity zones start at around $200,000 (approximately 6.6 million baht), and if it's a custom-designed family mausoleum, prices can exceed 6 million dollars (approximately 197 million baht).
Meanwhile, 49-year-old artist Geoffrey Dicker spent more than $50,000 to purchase a niche near the late actress Judy Garland. He said that The Wizard of Oz accompanied him during his childhood and growing years, so he hopes to rest eternally beside his idol in the future.
Experts note that paying large sums to purchase burial plots near celebrities is not new. For centuries, many people have wished to be buried near saints, royalty, or heroes to demonstrate their status and devotion. However, today, the figures people respect and admire have shifted to actors, singers, and cultural icons, with the hope that eternal rest beside an idol will continue a relationship that could not happen while alive.
