Paul McCartney net worth is something music fans around the world are curious about. As a member of The Beatles, he became one of the most famous musicians of all time. After the band, he built a long and successful solo career. His songwriting, tours, and music sales have made him one of the richest artists in history.
So, let’s take a closer look at how he earns his money and what has helped him build his wealth.
Paul McCartney in Brief
| Full Name | Paul James McCartney |
| Date of Birth | June 18, 1942 |
| Place of Birth | Liverpool, England |
| Occupation | Singer, Songwriter, Musician |
| Height | 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 meters) |
| Weight | 160 lbs (73 kg) |
| Spouse | Nancy Shevell (m. 2011), Heather Mills (m. 2002–2008), Linda McCartney (m. 1969–1998) |
| Children | Heather McCartney, James McCartney, Stella McCartney, Mary McCartney |
| Net Worth | $1.2 billion |
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What Paul Mccartney Net Worth?
Paul Mccartney is an English singer, songwriter, and musician with an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion. His fortune comes from decades of music, songwriting royalties, live tours, and smart investments. He is one of the few musicians in the world to reach billionaire status.
McCartney makes millions every year from The Beatles’ music. Even though the band stopped recording in the 1970s, their songs still generate $50 million annually in royalties. As one of the main songwriters for the band, McCartney earns a significant share.
His solo career and band Wings also brought him huge success. Albums like Band on the Run and McCartney II sold millions of copies, adding to his fortune. His tours are some of the highest-grossing in history. One of his most successful tours, Out There, earned over $300 million in ticket sales.
Earnings
Paul McCartney has been performing for over 50 years, starting with The Beatles in the 1960s. He is one of the biggest names in music and continues to tour the world. His music catalog is so large that he can have multiple tours.
In his 2015-2016 tour, McCartney made $4 million per city, more than stars like Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, and Jay-Z. His shows are famous for being long, often lasting three hours, so fans get their money’s worth.
Paul McCartney has played at major events like Live Aid and the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2005. His tours make a lot of money. In 2002, his tour earned $126 million. In 2010, it made $93 million. His 2014 tour made $71 million across 80 dates in 20 countries. In 2016, he earned $56.5 million, and in 2017, he made $54 million on a 15-city tour.
Early Life
Paul McCartney was born on June 18, 1942, in Liverpool. His mother, Mary Patricia, was a nurse, and his father, Jim, was of Irish descent. He had a younger brother, Peter, and a stepsister named Ruth. Paul grew up in a Catholic household, though his father was agnostic. Religion wasn’t a big focus at home.
His father worked as a salesman before the war and later as a lathe turner. After the war, his family moved several times. They lived in a flat in Knowsley and then in Speke. Mary’s job as a midwife brought in more money, and they moved into a new home at 20 Forthlin Road.
Paul McCartney went to several schools. At Joseph Williams Junior School, he met George Harrison. They became friends, and George would later join Paul in The Beatles. Paul’s mother died when he was 14, which deeply affected him. This loss connected him with John Lennon, whose mother also passed away when he was young.
Career
In 1957, Paul McCartney met John Lennon at a church fête. At the time, Lennon was in a band called The Quarrymen. Soon after, McCartney joined as the rhythm guitarist. George Harrison joined in 1958 as the lead guitarist. The band changed names several times before settling on The Beatles in 1960, adding drummer Pete Best.
The Beatles became very popular, especially after Brian Epstein became their manager in 1962. With songs like Love Me Do and I Want to Hold Your Hand, they created a frenzy known as “Beatlemania.” McCartney wrote many famous songs with Lennon, including I Saw Her Standing There and She Loves You.
In 1965, Paul McCartney wrote Yesterday, a song with classical music elements. It became one of the most covered songs ever. Over time, McCartney became the dominant musical force in The Beatles, contributing to albums like Rubber Soul and Revolver. His song Eleanor Rigby became famous for its use of strings.
In 1966, The Beatles stopped touring. McCartney then worked on his first film score for The Family Way, which won an award. The band continued to experiment with their music, releasing the groundbreaking Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967.
However, The Beatles started to face tensions, especially after Epstein’s death. McCartney took on a leadership role and pushed for new projects like Magical Mystery Tour. In 1969, McCartney married Linda Eastman, and they had their first child, Mary.
After The Beatles split in 1970, McCartney formed Wings with his wife Linda and other musicians. They found success with songs like Maybe I’m Amazed and Live and Let Die. Wings achieved huge commercial success with albums like Band on the Run and Venus and Mars.
Paul McCartney continued to have solo success with hits like Ebony and Ivory (with Stevie Wonder) and Say Say Say (with Michael Jackson). He also worked on movies like Give My Regards to Broad Street, although it wasn’t well received. In 1989, McCartney went on tour again, performing to 184,000 fans in Brazil.
In 1991, Paul McCartney worked on orchestral music when he was asked by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society to create a piece for its 150th anniversary. He teamed up with composer Carl Davis for Liverpool Oratorio, featuring opera singers like Kiri Te Kanawa and Jerry Hadley.
Though it received poor reviews, Liverpool Oratorio reached number one on the UK classical chart. That same year, McCartney performed on MTV Unplugged and released a live album called Unplugged (The Official Bootleg).
In the 1990s, Paul McCartney also collaborated with Youth of Killing Joke as The Fireman. They released an electronica album, Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest, in 1993. In 1997, he released the rock album Flaming Pie, which featured Ringo Starr on drums. Later that year, McCartney’s classical work Standing Stone topped the classical charts. His 1999 album Run Devil Run, featuring some of his original songs, was inspired by his late wife Linda.
In the 2000s, McCartney continued his musical evolution. In 2000, he released Liverpool Sound Collage, a project with Super Furry Animals. After the September 11 attacks, he organized the Concert for New York City and released Driving Rain with the song “Freedom.” He toured extensively with his new band, which included Rusty Anderson and Brian Ray.
His 2003 album Back in the World came from this tour. In 2005, McCartney performed at the Live 8 concert and released Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, followed by Memory Almost Full in 2007.
Paul McCartney’s music continued to evolve in the 2010s. He married Nancy Shevell in 2011 and released the album Kisses on the Bottom that year. In 2012, McCartney performed at the Diamond Jubilee Concert for Queen Elizabeth II. He also contributed to the 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief in 2012. McCartney’s album Egypt Station, released in 2018, topped the charts for the first time in 36 years.
In 2020, McCartney released McCartney III, his first number-one solo album in the UK in over 30 years. His next album, McCartney III Imagined, came out in 2021 with remixes and covers. In 2021, McCartney published his book The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present. In 2022, McCartney’s Got Back tour made him the oldest headliner at Glastonbury Festival.
Personal life
Paul McCartney had several important relationships in his life. His first serious girlfriend was Dot Rhone, whom he met in Liverpool in 1959. They were together for two and a half years, but they broke up after Rhone suffered a miscarriage.
Then, in 1963, McCartney began a relationship with British actress Jane Asher. They lived together for over two years and McCartney wrote songs like Yesterday and And I Love Her during that time. But their engagement ended when Asher found out McCartney had started seeing Francie Schwartz, an American screenwriter.
Paul McCartney’s most famous relationship was with Linda Eastman, a photographer and musician. They married in 1969 and had four children. They also formed the band Wings. Even though some critics didn’t like Linda’s musical abilities, Paul supported her. After Linda passed away from breast cancer in 1998, Paul said he sought counseling to help with the grief.
McCartney’s next marriage was to Heather Mills, a former model and anti-landmine activist. They had a daughter, Beatrice Milly, but separated in 2006 and divorced in 2008.
In 2011, McCartney married Nancy Shevell, a businesswoman and former board member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. They had known each other for 20 years before getting married.
As for McCartney’s relationships with his fellow Beatles, they were very close early on. However, after the band’s breakup, McCartney had a strained relationship with John Lennon. They briefly grew close again in 1974 but grew apart later. McCartney was deeply affected by Lennon’s tragic murder in 1980. He also had a close friendship with George Harrison, and after Harrison’s death, McCartney spoke fondly of their times together.
Lastly, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr worked together even after The Beatles. They continued to collaborate on many songs, including Six O’Clock, You’re Sixteen, and With a Little Help from My Friends. Their bond remained strong over the years, and they often performed together at various events.
Real Estate
Paul McCartney has a huge real estate portfolio worth at least $100 million, possibly up to $150 million. Here’s a look at his properties:
In 1984, Paul bought a townhouse in New York City for $1.88 million. The place has a great view of the Museum of Modern Art. In 1998, he bought a home in East Hampton, Long Island for $495,000. In 2001, he purchased Courtney Love’s Beverly Hills mansion for $4 million.
In 2015, Paul and his wife Nancy spent $15.5 million on a penthouse in Manhattan. This property had $13,000 in monthly maintenance fees. They sold it in 2022 for $8.5 million.
Paul also owns a 190-acre ranch outside Tucson, Arizona. In the UK, he has several properties, including a 1,500-acre estate in East Sussex, a flat in London, and a country estate in Scotland.
Paul McCartney’s childhood home, at 72 Western Avenue in Speke, was sold in 2015 for $231,000, which was $70,000 more than expected. The National Trust has owned it since 1995, and fans of The Beatles can visit it.