Photos: Forbes’ top earning dead celebrities

$37 million Cartoonist Died: February 12, 2000 Age: 77 Cause of death: Colon cancer  (File photo/Reuters)

$25 million Actress Died: March 23, 2011 Age: 79 Cause of death: Heart failure  (Sam Mircovich/Reuters)

$18 million Singer Died: May 11, 1981 Age: 36 Cause of death: Cancer   ( Paul Natkin/WireImage/Getty Images)

$15 million Actress Died: August 5, 1962 Age: 36 Cause of death: Overdose  (Hulton Archive / Getty Images)

$12 million Singer Died: December 8, 1980 Age: 40 Cause of death: Murder  (Toru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images )

$10 million Scientist Died: April 18, 1955 Age: 76 Cause of death: Natural causes  (,Äì / AFP/Getty Images)

$10 million Actress Died: December 11, 2008 Age: 85 Cause of death: Natural causes  (Arthur Fellig / International Center of Photography via Getty Images)

$9 million Author Died: September, 24, 1991 Age: 87 Cause of death: Natural causes  (Ron Galella, Ltd./LiveImage via Getty Images)