Top-Earning Dead Celebrities, 4-9

In this segment of our list of the top-earning dead celebrities, you will find more musicians and an artist who's fame has brought him millions.

4. John Lennon -- $24 million

In 1980, Beatles member John Lennon was killed by a crazed fan in New York City and mourned by fans around the world. The Beatles still sell more than a million records every year, even though they split up in 1970. Lennon's solo work also moves hundreds of thousands of copies each year. In addition, widow Yoko Ono filed a $10 million lawsuit against record company EMI to obtain back royalties and master recordings, which helped boost Lennon's bank account.

5. Albert Einstein -- $20 million

Licensing giant Corbis has image rights to Einstein's wild-haired visage and says that the physics genius is their most requested figure. Disney pays top dollar for the use of Einstein's name in their Baby Einstein line, and T-shirts around the globe feature Einstein's famous face and formula, E=mc2. Einstein died in 1955 at age 76, but every generation since instantly recognizes the great physicist.

6. Andy Warhol -- $19 million

Avant-garde pop artist Andy Warhol once said that in the future, everyone will have 15 minutes of fame. He died before he saw how right he was -- reality TV appeared only a few years after Warhol's death in 1987. The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts continues to sign off on deals with companies such as Levi Strauss and Barney's New York to reproduce Warhol soup cans and portraits for the masses, which keeps the Factory creator cranking out the dough more than two decades after his death.

7. Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss -- $10 million

With movies, apparel, and even Broadway musicals based on Geisel's characters, such as the Cat in the Hat and the Grinch, not to mention dozens of Dr. Seuss titles that continue to fly off the shelves, it's easy to see how Geisel continues to make money even after his death in 1991.

8. Ray Charles -- $10 million

Ray, the hit biopic of 2004, clearly had a lot to do with the resurgence of all things Ray Charles. The beloved singer-songwriter died of liver failure in 2004, but his record sales are better than ever. DVD sales of the Oscar-winning film and biographies of the dynamic performer are up, too, and continue to bring money to his estate.

9. Marilyn Monroe -- $8 million

No one before or since has embodied Hollywood glamour like iconic sex symbol Marilyn Monroe. Her platinum blonde hair and breathy voice are gold mines for ad campaigns that want to nab the attention of both male and female audiences. General Motors, Absolut, and Dom Perignon have all paid a pretty price for permission to use Monroe in their advertisements. The controversy surrounding Monroe's 1962 death has only served to reinforce her popularity.

On the next page, you will find the final four top-earning dead celebrities.