13 Conspiracy Theories About Elvis Being Alive That People Still Believe

Noelle Talmon
Updated October 20, 2023 47.1K views
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Vote up the most WTF theories about the King's "alleged" death.

Singer Elvis Presley was a beloved artist who died tragically young. And as a result, there are many Elvis conspiracy theories circulating on the internet. Was Elvis Presley murdered? Did he fake his own death? According to official reports, Presley unceremoniously died in his bathroom at Graceland on August 16, 1977. The official cause of death was a heart attack, but it was later revealed he had a strong concoction of prescription drugs in his body. Police did not investigate, and photos weren’t taken at the scene because there were no signs of suicide. Foul play was not believed to be a factor either.

Yet, some have never been able to come to terms with his death. It has been a source of fascination since he passed more than 40 years ago. Elvis death theories range from the plausible to the ridiculous. Many conspiracy theorists think he pretended to die in order to live a life out of the spotlight. Others think he is working undercover with the federal government. Super fans have tracked Presley sightings over the years and often present “evidence” they believe definitively proves the King of Rock 'n' Roll still walks among us. Check out some of the more outrageous theories.

  • 1
    632 VOTES

    His Middle Name Was Spelled Wrong On His Gravestone

    Perhaps the proof that Presley faked his passing can be traced back to his tombstone. His remains at Graceland are marked with a plaque that says, "Elvis Aaron Presley." When Elvis wrote his middle name, he spelled it "Aron" without the extra "a." This led some to believe that Elvis wasn't actually buried there. However, it appears the King wanted his middle name to be spelled with two "a"s. Graceland spokeswoman Danna Yarmowich told the Associated Press in 1997 that Presley's middle name was originally spelled with one "a" to match the name of his stillborn twin brother Jessie Garon.

    Presley always wanted it spelled with two "a"s just as it is in the Bible. When Presley located his birth certificate, he discovered someone had inadvertently spelled it "Aaron" and was happy about it. He then started using two "a"s when he wrote his middle name.

    632 votes
  • 2
    694 VOTES

    28 Years After His Passing, Priscilla Presley Let It Slip That She Recently Spoke To Him

    Many believe Presley is still alive because his ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, inadvertently told a talk show audience in 2005 that she recently had a conversation with him. Presley let it slip that she spoke to him while being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey. She was sitting on the couch with their daughter, Lisa Marie, and she said, “He too grew up poor, and that’s exactly what he said the other day.”

    Did she mean what she said or was is just a Freudian slip? Watch the video, and you be the judge.

    694 votes
  • 3
    543 VOTES

    The Mob Ordered A Hit On Him

    Actress Suzanna Leigh starred alongside Presley in Paradise, Hawaiian Style. She heard many conspiracy theories surrounding Presley's passing, many of which indicated he'd been slain. Prior to his demise, Presley was allegedly involved in an FBI investigation and given the codename "Fountain Pen." The case involved billions of dollars and organized crime, and Presley was allegedly an unwitting victim of the scheme. The singer was expected to provide some evidence in the case before his passing. According to Leigh, the FBI was tasked with making sure Presley was safe. Some believe the circumstances surrounding his demise were suspect. 

    A member of Presley's security detail - and a former police sergeant - named Dick Grob was convinced the mob ordered a hit on Presley because they were afraid of the evidence Presley would reveal in court. Grob believed someone inside Presley's inner circle let the individual responsible for his passing into the house.

    543 votes
  • 4
    562 VOTES

    A Wax Dummy Was Buried In His Coffin And He's In Witness Protection

    A Wax Dummy Was Buried In His Coffin And He's In Witness Protection
    Photo: Marvin Israel / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

    In 1994, a conspiracy group called the Presley Commission claimed that a wax dummy (that appeared to be sweating) was buried inside Presley’s coffin. The group was convinced the King was being hunted by the mafia, and in order to escape he chose to go into a witness protection program.

    The commission said Presley’s manager perished in the Graceland bathroom, and the wax dummy in the coffin was kept cool through an elaborate ruse involving hidden fans and dry ice.

    562 votes
  • 5
    567 VOTES

    He Killed Himself

    At the time of his passing, Presley was reportedly depressed. He was overweight, unhealthy, and heavily using drugs. His marriage to Priscilla had failed, and he was afraid to go on tour because of the way he looked (by some estimates he weighed 350 pounds). His handlers took care of him, and he was administered a drug cocktail several times throughout the night and day.

    But according to some conspiracy theorists, on the day of his passing, Presley took several pills and injections all at once.

    567 votes
  • 6
    518 VOTES

    He's In Hiding Due To Threats On His Life

    Conspiracy theorist Mickey Moran believed Presley faked his own passing because someone was threatening to take his life. Moran wrote on his website:

    I also believe that he wants to come back to his fans while there is still time but the powers that be are making more with him "dead." I now believe that he is being forced to stay in hiding against his wishes. I want to help him do the ultimate "Comeback Special."

    518 votes
  • 7
    555 VOTES

    He Appeared As An Extra In 'Home Alone' 13 Years After His Passing

    He Appeared As An Extra In 'Home Alone' 13 Years After His Passing
    Photo: Home Alone / 20th Century Fox

    One of the more obscure conspiracy theories about Presley is that he appears as an extra in the 1990 film Home Alone. The scene in question involves Kate McCallister at an airport in Pennsylvania. Standing behind her in line is a bearded man wearing a black shirt and brown blazer. Some believe it's Presley making a cameo (and that his eyes and mouth give him away). In addition, in another part of the film Kevin McCallister, played by Macaulay Culkin, smooths his hair back and sings "White Christmas" in the bathroom.

    Is it a reference to the King? It's unclear why Presley, if he was alive, would choose to appear in a film 13 years after his supposed passing.

    555 votes
  • 8
    483 VOTES

    A Black Helicopter Swept Him Away To Bermuda

    Many conspiracy theorists believe Presley wanted to live a life away from the spotlight. The only way he could do that was by faking his own demise. Their proof? Not long before his corpse was found in Graceland, a black helicopter arrived on his property. Presley allegedly got on board and traveled to Bermuda where he was never heard from again.

    But that doesn't explain the body that was found in the bathroom.

    483 votes
  • 9
    496 VOTES

    His Manager Colonel Tom Parker Killed Him

    Months before his passing, Presley decided to take a sabbatical and let go of half his staff, including his manager Colonel Tom Parker. The day after Presley perished, Parker signed a lucrative deal with Presley's father. He would receive half the earnings the Presley estate made following his demise.

    Parker, who served in the Army but as a private and not a colonel, was discharged from service after having a psychotic breakdown in 1932. So is it possible that he had another breakdown and slayed the King of Rock 'n' Roll? While he may have had motive to kill Presley, he wasn't at Graceland during Presley's passing, so this theory is most likely false.

    496 votes
  • 10
    505 VOTES

    He Is Working Undercover For The DEA

    He Is Working Undercover For The DEA
    Photo: Ollie Atkins/White House / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

    Did the King fake his own passing to work undercover for the federal government? According elvis-is-alive.com, Presley met President Richard Nixon in 1970 and bonded with the president over their shared views against communism and drug use. Conspiracy theorists believe the president decided to make Presley a special agent in what is now called the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and Presley's task was to secretly help the government combat drug abuse.

    This would also allow Presley to remove himself from the spotlight, and both he and the government would benefit. Considering he abused prescription drugs, this theory is a little hard to believe.

    505 votes
  • 11
    496 VOTES

    He Went To Graceland During A Birthday Tribute

    He Went To Graceland During A Birthday Tribute
    Photo: Evidence Elvis Presley Is Alive Facebook Page / Facebook

    In January 2017, the Elvis Presley Is Alive Facebook page published a photo "proving" that the King was still walking this earth. The image was reportedly taken during a birthday tribute at Graceland. In the photos, a man purported to be Elvis sports a white beard and mustache and wears a black jacket and baseball cap.

    Some conspiracy theorists believed he was being guarded by the security guards featured on his right-hand side.

    496 votes
  • 12
    471 VOTES

    He's A Groundsman At Graceland

    He's A Groundsman At Graceland
    Video: YouTube

    In 2016, video from Graceland surfaced showing a groundsman who looked (kind of?) like Presley. The man is pictured with white hair in a ponytail. The YouTube channel that uploaded the video, The Shadow, claimed that Presley gave his fans a secret signal:

    Pay close attention as he walks up to the cam. He raises his 2 fingers to the top of his left head as a proof of life signal. [...] He told us he is alive with the simple V sign. [...] He is giving us a clue that he knows we are all there watching him and to his most loyal fans that he is indeed with us.

    471 votes
  • 13
    536 VOTES

    He Lives In An Underground Bunker With Michael Jackson

    He Lives In An Underground Bunker With Michael Jackson
    Photo: Zoran Veselinovic / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0

    In 2009, the Daily Mail reported that a website claimed Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson were living together in a bunker. The website purported, "Surely you've heard of the secret, seven-story-deep bunker that Elvis Presley had built underneath Graceland, prior to faking his own demise? MJ lives there now with Elvis and certain other 'dead' celebrities. You don't have to be sad for him any more."

    The bunker was supposedly underneath Graceland, Presley's former home.

    536 votes