Paul McCartney Net Worth: Paul McCartney is an English musician. Paul McCartney has a net worth of $1.2 billion. Thanks to his net worth, he is among the wealthiest musicians and entertainers in the world. Everyone knows that McCartney first rose to fame as a member of The Beatles.
As the leader of the band Wings and a successful solo artist, McCartney also had success. A frenzy ensued when McCartney and the Beatles released their music in the 1960s. The Beatles released 12 studio albums, 13 E.P.s, and 22 singles while still a band.
Additionally, they have issued 15 box sets, 12 live albums, and five compilation albums. Every Beatles release achieved at least some gold status, while the majority achieved platinum.
One of the greatest composers and performers of all time is Paul McCartney. His Beatles song Yesterday has been reproduced by more than 2,200 artists, making it one of the most-covered songs in the annals of popular music.
He makes money nearly every time it is covered. Eight Grammy Awards have been given to Paul McCartney. Thirty-two songs he co-wrote or wrote have peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. He consistently ranks among the highest-paid celebs.
Paul makes $50–70 million privately during his years of touring. He makes tens of millions per year in royalties, licensing fees from his music, and a significant portfolio of publishing copyrights from other artists through his publishing company, MPL Communications, outside the touring seasons. MPL is the rightful owner of many songs by musicians like Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, etc.
The Beatles
At fifteen, he first saw John Lennon and the Quarrymen and soon joined them as a rhythm guitarist. In 1960, the group adopted the name The Beatles. Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Pete Best on drums formed the band’s original line-up. Ringo Starr took Pete Best’s place in 1962.
The Beatles at the Cavern Club pic.twitter.com/Z9KKfoPcPQ
— Classic Rock In Pics (@crockpics) May 28, 2023
Early in 1964, the Beatles had established “Beatlemania” as a global phenomenon, dominated the pop marketplaces in the U.S. and the U.K., and set numerous sales records. Their early singles, including “Love Me Do” and several others, were co-written by McCartney and Lennon.
The Beatles are the most successful musical act, with certified sales of more than 183 million units in the United States and an estimated 600 million globally. They hold the records for the most U.K. Albums Chart number-one albums, Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits, and U.K. single sales.
The Beatles were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and between 1994 and 2015, each of the four core members was given a separate induction. The Beatles appeared in five significant movie features between 1964 and 1970.
In addition to performing on twelve studio albums between 1960 and 1970, McCartney also created or co-authored some of the most well-known songs in the history of pop music, such as “Yesterday,” “Can’t Buy Me, Love,” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”
McCartney and the other Beatles were made Members of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II on October 26 in 1965. The band’s 1966 U.S. tour concluded with their final paid performance.
The Beatles display the Member of The Order of The British Empire medals presented to them by Queen Elizabeth II in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London, England on this date October 26 in 1965. Photo: AP. #BeatlesGuterman pic.twitter.com/VjBks6HwmM
— Dr. Jeffrey Guterman (@JeffreyGuterman) October 26, 2019
Abbey Road, the group’s last album, was released in 1969. The Beatles later split up for differences in business. On April 10, 1970, McCartney made his exit from the group public. On December 31, 1970, a lawsuit was brought against the band for its formal dissolution.
The Beatles Wealth
John Lennon’s net worth at the time of his passing in 1980 was two hundred million dollars. After accounting for inflation, the equivalent value now is $620 million. Paul McCartney had a net worth of almost $400 million then.
That equates to a value of $1.4 billion in today’s money. 1980 Ringo Star was worth $80 million, and George Harrison was $100 million. George Harrison’s net worth at the time of his passing in 2001 was $400 million, or over $700 million in today’s money.
Paul McCartney Solo Career and Wings
McCartney launched a solo career following the dissolution of the Beatles in 1970 with the release of “McCartney,” which became a number one album in the United States. From 1971 through 1981, he served as a founding member of the band Wings.
His wife, Linda McCartney, was a keyboard player for the prevalent group. Since 1989, he has routinely performed solo shows on tour. Compared to the other former Beatles, he achieved tremendous solo success.
One of the most well-known performers in the world, McCartney continues to sell out nearly all of his shows and bring in millions of dollars. Since the dissolution of the Beatles, he has made twenty-two studio pop albums and five classical albums.
Losing The Beatles Catalog
The unique body of music that Paul McCartney and John Lennon co-wrote for the Beatles has not been his property for most of his adult life.
In conclusion, Paul and John were informed by Beatles manager Brian Epstein in February 1963 that they needed to establish a business to hold and safeguard their publishing rights.
Epstein also advised the pair to make a well-known publishing company a co-owner to assist them in landing radio airtime, club appearances around England, and television appearances.
They partnered with a publisher by the name of Dick James, and they established Northern Songs as their business. The corporate structure was separated into the following categories for reasons that are yet unclear:
- Dick James and a partner named Charles Silver: 50%
- Brian Epstein: 10%
- John Lennon: 20%
- Paul McCartney: 20%
More than 50 Lennon/McCartney songs, now among the most well-known songs ever composed, were legally transferred to Northern Songs after they were formed. Even better, Lennon and McCartney were legally required to write at least six new songs yearly under their contract with Northern Songs.
The Beatles’ debut album “Please Please Me” was released in England one month after Northern Songs was established. In a short period, Beatlemania would spread worldwide and in the United States.
Dick James and Charles Silver discovered in 1965 that they might save money on taxes by going public with Northern Songs. Lennon and McCartney’s interest in Northern Songs was cut to 15% each once the company started trading on the London Stock Exchange.
Dick James and Charles Silver sold all Northern Songs to ATV Music Publishing for $2.5 million in August 1967. That is equivalent to almost $20 million in today’s money. In addition to being contractually bound to continue writing six songs for the firm through 1973, Lennon and McCartney were enraged.
However, they still held the publication rights, so they were entitled to about 25 cents of every dollar ATV made. The Beatles agreed to sell all their remaining rights to ATV for $5.738 million (about $40 million today) to escape the contract and walk away from ATV in 1969.
Reading ahead…
Paul welcomed 25-year-old Michael Jackson to his home in 1980, where they made music. Paul revealed to Michael one fateful evening how he had been purchasing the rights to other artists’ catalogs.
Regaining his Beatles Rights
Fifty-six years after the copyright was registered, an artist may reclaim their rights under U.K. law. Around 2018, the rights would revert to the songs Lennon and McCartney wrote in the early 1960s, comprising most of their most significant early Beatles material.
Michael Jackson had been deceased for almost ten years, and Sony, who had paid his estate $750 million for the rights, now controlled most of his old music business. McCartney and John Lennon’s heirs settled with Sony ATV in June 2017 to avoid what would have been a lengthy and complicated legal drama.
Musical Style
American rhythm, blues, and Motown were two significant influences on McCartney. He claims that Little Richard was his childhood hero.
He was primarily self-taught as a musician, and over the years, he became proficient in numerous instruments, including bass, acoustic, electric guitars, piano, and drums. He has developed and used various singing styles during his career and is also renowned for the range and strength of his vocals.
Touring Earnings
Thanks to his massive music library, McCartney can launch world tour after world tour. The now 76-year-old has been captivating audiences for more than 50 years, from the Beatles in the 1960s to the present.
For instance, McCartney made an incredible $4 million PER CITY during his 2015–2016 tour. Concurrently touring superstars Jay-Z, Beyonce, and Jennifer Lopez all made substantially more money than that. Additionally, McCartney impresses, which keeps fans coming back. He usually performs a three-hour concert when he tours, offering audiences much value.
Paul performed at Live Aid. The Super Bowl XXXIX halftime show featured him. His 2002 tour generated $126 million in revenue. His time in 2010, he brought in $93 million. He made $71 million in 2014 during an 80-date time in 20 different nations.
He made $56.5 million in 2016. He made $54 million 2017 from his 15-city time in the United States and Brazil. He served as the festival’s headlining act in the autumn of 2018. Paul McCartney is a machine that doesn’t seem to be getting any slower.
Paul McCartney Real Estate
Paul has worldwide real estate holdings totaling at least $100 million. His portfolio of properties is broken down as follows:
- Paul invested $1.88 million in 1984 to buy a New York City townhouse with a view of the Museum of Modern Art.
- Paul paid $495k for a house in East Hampton, Long Island 1998.
- Paul paid $4 million 2001 for Courtney Love’s Beverly Hills home.
- A Manhattan penthouse cost $15.5 million to purchase in 2015 for Paul and his wife, Nancy. There are estimates that just the maintenance on this home costs $13,000 a month.
- His 190-acre property is located outside of Tucson, Arizona.
- He has six homes in his home nation of the United Kingdom (that we know of), including a 1,500-acre estate in East Sussex, a London apartment, and a Scottish country estate.
If you add it all together, Paul has global real estate holdings worth at least $100 million and possibly $150 million.
Paul McCartney Early Life
Sir James Paul McCartney was born on June 18, 1942, and raised in Liverpool, England. When McCartney was 14, his mother, Mary, died from a cerebral embolism. His father, James (or “Jim”), was a pianist and trumpet player.
Paul was encouraged to practice frequently on the upright piano that the family-owned. McCartney wrote the keyboard melody for “When I’m Sixty-Four” in his early years. When McCartney was 14, he penned “I Lost My Little Girl” on an acoustic Zenith guitar.
Paul McCartney’s Personal Life
In 1969, McCartney wed photographer and animal rights campaigner Linda Eastman (later Linda McCartney); they had four children and were happily united until her passing in 1998. 2002 he wed Heather Mills; the couple had a daughter before divorcing in 2008. Paul McCartney married Nancy Shevell on October 9, 2011.
McCartney’s political and social involvement is well-known, including his support for animal rights, opposition to landmines, and opposition to genetically modified foods. Since 1975, he has been a vegetarian.
After Bob Dylan introduced marijuana to McCartney and the other Beatles in 1964, McCartney started using it regularly and for leisure. Over the years, he has made his support for marijuana widely known. He was regularly turned down for a visa until 1973 due to two minor drug charges, fines for possession, and marijuana plant cultivation.
Throughout the ’70s and ’80s, he was detained several times for marijuana possession. He declared his support for the drug’s decriminalization in 1997. While “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band” was being recorded, he frequently used cocaine and LSD, although he quit using them soon after the session ended.
Relationship with John Lennon
It is well known that Lennon and McCartney clashed frequently while they were bandmates and actively worked on lyrics and music together. Midway through the 1970s, they temporarily reconnected before drifting apart once more.
According to McCartney, he had a cordial conversation with Lennon over the phone before hanging up. In 1980, Lennon was killed on December 8. The media criticized McCartney for giving what they saw as a “superficial” response when asked about the news by reporters as he was exiting an Oxford Street recording studio.
He claimed that when he got home that night, he saw the information on television and sobbed for most of the evening at the passing of his buddy and former teammate.
Paul McCartney’s Childhood Home
Paul McCartney’s childhood house was put up for auction in February 2015. The home, located at 72 Western Avenue in Speke, was eventually sold to an unnamed buyer, probably a great Beatles fan, for $231,000, $70,000 more than the asking.