Los Angeles - A Japanese bidder has withdrawn his winning 4.6-million-dollar bid for the crypt above the grave of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe, saying he could not come up with the cash, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.

The anonymous bidder had beaten out stiff competition for the coveted site in the Westwood Village Memorial Park in Los Angeles, where the sex idol was buried in 1962 after she died aged 36 of a probable overdose of barbiturates.

The bidding on internet auction site eBay had attracted strong interest worldwide after the owner offered it up for sale with a starting price of 500,000 dollars.

The crypt had been owned by Monroe's ex-husband Joe Di Maggio who later sold it to entrepreneur Richard Poncher, who was buried in the tomb 23 years ago at the age of 81. His widow Elise Poncher put the tomb up for sale so she could pay off the 1.6-million-dollar mortgage on her Beverley Hills house.

The winning bidder, whose identity was not released, backed out after receiving an invoice for the bid amount, saying: "I am awfully sorry but I need to cancel this because of the paying problem," the report said.

A representative for Poncher has now contacted the 11 other bidders who offered over 4.5 million dollars, giving them 24 hours to make an offer. (dpa)