Billionaire Rock Icon Becomes World’s Third-Richest Musician
Forbes reports that the 84-year-old star’s net worth hit $1.4 billion in 2026.
Jim Dyson/Getty Images
Paul McCartney is now a billionaire, according to Forbes, which reports that only two other musicians have a higher net worth.
The Beatles icon, 84, is worth $1.4 billion this year, placing him as the world’s third-richest musician behind only Taylor Swift at $2 billion and Jay-Z at $2.8 billion.
McCartney first became a billionaire in 2024, according to the Sunday Times Rich List. Jay-Z reached billionaire status in 2019, followed by Swift, who surpassed the $1 billion mark in 2023.
Paul McCartney performs live at The O2 Arena on December 16, 2018, in London, England.
Samir Hussein/WireImage
The site reports that a quarter-billion of McCartney’s wealth comes from catalog acquisitions, including those of Buddy Holly, as well as Broadway musical scores, Grease and Annie, and Christmas classics, “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas,” “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on a Fire),” and “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”
Another substantial portion of McCartney’s wealth comes from the approximate $50 million he earns annually from The Beatles’ music streams and the iconic band’s vinyl and merchandise sales.
McCartney’s songwriting copyrights also bring the star “at least” $10 million in revenue per year, according to the site. McCartney has spent decades suing for ownership of the music he wrote for the band, which Forbes reports paid off handsomely in the new tallying of his accrued wealth.
The Beatles posing together in 1965—George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr.
Bettmann/Bettmann Archive
World tours, real estate, and a robust art collection (including works by Picasso) also help put McCartney among the top three richest musicians.
Stephen Colbert and Paul McCartney on the CBS series The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
CBS Photo Archive/CBS via Getty Images
McCartney is still actively releasing new projects, including the re-releases of his book Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run, which came out last month, and of his 18th solo album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, in May. He also appeared on the last episode of Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show that month.
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