Top-earning dead celebrities? 2)Lennon, 4)Harrison http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Forbes/TopEarningDeadCelebrities.aspx John Lennon jumps from the No. 4 spot last year to second place this year, with earnings estimated at $44 million. In February, the Beatles settled a 15-year battle with Apple (AAPL, news, msgs) over the company's decision to get into the music business. (The Beatles' commercial interests are overseen by a firm called Apple Corps.) Two months later, the band settled another long-standing dispute with its record label, EMI, over alleged unpaid royalties. The settlements, which are believed to have exceeded $100 million, also buoyed the income of the other deceased Beatle, George Harrison, who placed No. 4 on this year's list, with earnings estimated at $22 million. Now that Apple and the Beatles have settled their differences, stock market analysts are hungrily awaiting an announcement from Apple chief Steve Jobs regarding the covetable Beatles archive being made available for download from Apple's iTunes Music Store. In late August, shares of Apple jumped nearly 6% on rumors that an announcement was forthcoming. (No announcement has been made yet.) The store already sells the Fab Four's solo works. The Lucky 13 1.Elvis Presley 2.John Lennon 3.Charles Schulz 4.George Harrison 5.Albert Einstein 6.Andy Warhol 7.Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) 8.Tupac Shakur 9.Marilyn Monroe 10.Steve McQueen 11.James Brown 12.Bob Marley 13.James Dean |