Probably the most ubiquitous scientist not currently living (though we're sure he'd still give Professor Stephen Hawking a run for his money in the fame stakes), you see the most celebrated member of the Manhattan Project in everything from greeting cards to mouse pads - and you're about to see a lot more of him as his name's due to appear on lines of smartphones, tablets and even 'smart' foods, whatever they are. Not that it should strike anyone as strange that products made with cutting-edge technology are being named after a man who died almost 50 years ago... But Einstein likely doesn't mind too much - aside from the unfortunate fact of his deceasedness, he's coming out of the endeavour with a cool $10 million going to his state. Not bad for a 135-year old.
7. John Lennon
The Beatles are nothing if not lucrative, even 44 years after they parted ways, and their members are still reaping the benefits - even the ones who are already in the ground. Lennon's estate, accumulating profits from the group's records sold, films, Beatles-themed shows and licensing deals - and not forgetting the most intense member of the Fab Four's own not insignificant solo material - netted him $12 million last year. His murder at the age of 40 at the hands of Mark David Chapman was tragic, but the legacy of music he left behind has stayed with millions of people both commercially and socially.
6. Marilyn Monroe
If she wasn't famous for dying young, you'd think the Seven Year Itch actress and sex symbol was still with us - she's appeared in a number of adverts recently, including some for Chanel No. 5 and Sexy Hair. This invocation of long-dead actresses to sell products isn't exactly uncommon; we've also seen an Audrey Hepburn lookalike flogging Galaxy chocolate and Grace Kelly, Marlene Dietrich and Monroe joined Charlize Theron in a 2011 Dior J'Adore commercial. Marilyn's still very much in demand, then, and with lines of Monroe-branded clothe, spas and cafes filling her coffers as well, she made a tidy living of $15 million in 2013.
5. Bob Marley
Although the biggest reggae artist in history was in it more for the music than the money (or at least we hope so), that hasn't stopped him from making $18 million in 2013, 33 years after he died of cancer. Much of those profits come from incredibly strong music sales, but Marley's name has also been plastered everywhere, being commercialised through everything from 'relaxation drinks' to audio and lifestyle products. Interest in the Rastafarian singer remains high even beyond this and his album sales, and a documentary - Marley - was released in 2012 with the Weinstein Company set to produce a biographical feature about him in the coming years.
