The magazine says it talked to people inside the celebrities ' estates and calculated their gross earnings from October 2007 to October 2008 . Some celebrities are staples on the list , which is in its eighth year . Cartoonist Charles Schulz , who created Snoopy , Charlie Brown and the assorted cast of `` Peanuts '' characters , is second on the list . Schulz , who died in 2000 , had posthumous earnings last year of $ 33 million , the magazine reported . He owes his constant presence to a steady revenue stream from the ongoing licensing of his characters , the magazine said . Schulz and Presley join Theodor '' Dr. Seuss '' Geisel -LRB- this year 's No. 6 -RRB- , Beatles legend John Lennon -LRB- No. 7 -RRB- and actress Marilyn Monroe -LRB- No. 9 -RRB- as the only entertainers to make the list every year since its inception . Physicist Albert Einstein , best known for his theory of relativity , is fourth on the list . It is his third consecutive year making the Forbes rankings . Though he died in 1955 , a franchise bearing his name -- Baby Einstein --
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Elvis Presley may have left the building three decades ago , but he raked in more money last year than many living titans of the music industry Singer Elvis Presley tops the Forbes list for the second year in a row , raking in $ 52 million last year . For the second year in a row , Presley topped the Forbes magazine 's list of Top-Earning Dead Celebrities , hauling in $ 52 million last year . In comparison , the very-much-alive Justin Timberlake earned $ 44 million while another superstar , Madonna , made $ 40 million , the magazine reported Tuesday . The 30th anniversary of Presley 's death boosted attendance and merchandise sales last year at his Memphis , Tennessee , home , Graceland . A long list of licensing deals , such as a Presley show on satellite radio , added to the earnings . The business magazine has been compiling its annual list of departed celebrities ' earnings since 2001 . Since 2003 , the feature has coincided with Halloween . This year , the top 13 celebrities earned a combined $ 194 million in the last 12 months .