.Name: John Lennon
Earnings: US$44 million
Occupation: Musician
Died: Dec. 8, 1980
Age: 40
Cause: Murder
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Lennon's posthumous income was buoyed considerably over the past year thanks to resolutions of long-standing lawsuits. In February, the remaining Beatles and their heirs settled a trademark dispute with Apple Inc., reportedly for as much as $100 million. (The Beatles' commercial interests are overseen by a firm called Apple Corps.) Two months later, the band finally resolved a 30-year battle with record label EMI over alleged unpaid royalties. Both pacts clear the way for the Beatles to begin selling their iconic catalogue of hits online.
