Died: August 5, 1962

From beyond the grave, the blonde bombshell still continues to make stack loads of cash, using her image for everything from Volkswagen to Visa. And recent deals for MasterCard and a Marilyn Monroe dress for Dolce & Gabbana are yet another revenue stream for the deceased star's estate.

Who benefits? CMG Worldwide manages her estate, and has authorised the use of her image on most things. On her death, the curvy celeb had a £1m fortune; 75% went to her acting coach Lee Strasberg and the rest to her psychoanalyst Dr Marianne Kris.