The theory of Casper the Friendly Ghost being Richie Rich's spirit has been floating around since 1991 when a Simpson's episode suggested there was a reason why the two characters looked alike.

Their likeness is eerie and uncanny.

Although it's merely a fun spooculation, people have been wondering how Richie Rich became the affable spirit.

One Twitter user proposed a dark theory. @CharlesPulliam tweeted, "Casper the Ghost is a cautionary tale about how Richie Rich's parents killed him for the insurance money."

Was Casper always so "friendly?"

@DccaDance replied to the thread, "Casper might be friendly, but Richie Rich had some skeletons in his closet, though none that money couldn't cover up. Anyway, a lasting Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde transformation. Watch out for child prodigies & pay attention where they bury the bodies, eh Rich?"

The "My Two Cents" blog offered several options in a 2013 entry on how Richie Rich may have transitioned into the spiritual realm.

Richie Rich was known as the richest boy in the world and Casper was known as the friendly ghost (a rip off of another friendly ghost but that's another blog) but what caused Richie Rich's death? An accident, a rare childhood disease, suicide, murder??? The mystery has been surrounded by secrets for years UNTIL NOW when I shall uncover the mysterious death of beloved Richie.

He shared "nightmare scenarios" for that included a suicide, a shark attack, and a sexually transmitted disease.

Richie certainly would have had many young girls after him. Knowing he could never find anyone that truly loves him for who he is and NOT just for his money, he becomes a man-whore. Richie sleeps with every girl he meets and many high-class hookers. Eventually this lifestyle catches up with him and he gets a case of full blown aids. All the money can't save him from this disease and Richie ends up dying a slow painful death. Keep in mind Richie lived over 60 years ago although his Casper ghost still roams the earth to this day some say, back then they didn't have the same kind of medicine that we do now.

There's always that guy who likes to challenge a good theory.

Cartoon Conspiracy said it's plausible Richie Rich could have died as a child, considering the fact that the affluent family was perpetually subjected to threats of kidnapping, robbery, and espionage.

And if the theory held up, the trait that both characters had in common was wanting to connect with people.

One fact incontrovertibly tied the two characters together. Both Casper and Richie Rich were drawn my New York cartoonist Warren Kremer, who died in July of 2003 in Glen Ridge, NJ.

The film adaptation of Casper, however, wouldn't support the popular theory.

In 1995's Casper movie, the character died of pneumonia, which wouldn't make sense for a wealthy kid with the best medical care to die from an inflammatory condition.

Still, people are having fun wanting to believe the theory.

H/T - YouTube, Twitter, MyTwoCents