A scientific celebrity is a person who gains celebrity status in the media by representing their own scientific interests. Such promotion can be self-serving in nature, can be at the behest of governmental or corporate interests or even to promote the science involved.

With every new scientific discovery various people have long been known for their contributions to knowledge, medicine and methods of transportation. Although this phenomenon has undergone a recent upsurgence (coincidental with the rise of celebrity culture), it is by no means new and the list of scientific celebrities is long.

Many other people have become known to the public as a result of media promotion. Heads of state, heads of governmental units and religious leaders have long enjoyed this attention in representing interests other than their own.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_celebrity