3) Charles Schulz ($40 million)

Died: February 12, 2000, Cause: Colon cancer, Age: 77

Schulz, the creator of famous comic strip Peanuts, died of colon cancer on February 12 2000. Sparky (Schulz’s nickname) is widely regarded as one of the most influential cartoonists of all time. He continues to earn licensing revenue from the popular comic. The Peanuts Movie will be in theaters in November 2015.