The Living Beatle — Ringo Starr or Paul McCartney — With the Higher Net Worth
They were both Beatles once, and Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have had enviable careers in music since the iconic quartet called it quits. Read on to find out which of them has a higher net worth after six decades of fame. And what new project do the longtime friends reportedly have on the horizon?
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have grown their net worths since the end of The Beatles
After The Beatles broke up for good in 1970, McCartney became one of the most popular solo artists on two fronts — records sales and ticket sales (per Britannica). He also paints and sometimes acts, appearing in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales thanks to his friendship with Johnny Depp. But he was rocked by an expensive divorce, which saw his ex-wife Heather Mills walk away with $48.7 million in 2008.
Similarly, Starr has also worked consistently since his time as a Beatle. And he was once named the world’s top-earning drummer, beating Phil Collins and Dave Grohl to take that number one spot (per Parade). Furthermore, he narrated episodes of the popular children’s show Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends and voiced Mr. Conductor on the spinoff Shining Time Station.
On top of it all, both McCartney and Starr still claim royalty payments from The Beatles’ music. So, which one of them has amassed a higher net worth?
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr: who has a higher net worth?
Parade reported McCartney’s estimated net worth in 2021 was a whopping $1.2 billion. Meanwhile, Starr’s 2021 net worth was approximately $350 million. So, McCartney’s ongoing touring career has helped make him the wealthiest Beatle, despite an ultra-expensive divorce.
Notably, when John Lennon died in 1980, his net worth was around $200 million. And when George Harrison died in 2001, his net worth was approximately $400 million.
McCartney and Lennon’s estate reportedly earn the most from The Beatles’ royalty payments since they have the most songwriting credits. Those payments totaled $67 million in 2019 alone, according to Parade.
During the years that McCartney tours, he can earn up to an additional $50 million. And even without hitting the road, he generates millions of dollars in album sales, licensing fees, and royalties.
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are reportedly teaming up on a future project
According to filmmaker Peter Jackson, he is in talks with McCartney and Starr on a follow-up project for the successful Disney+ documentary, The Beatles: Get Back. It was nominated in five Primetime Emmy categories in 2022, including Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program.
But Jackson isn’t looking to repeat the same formula, despite the accolades. “I’m talking to The Beatles about another project, something very, very different than Get Back,” he revealed to Deadline.
“We’re seeing what the possibilities are, but it’s another project with them,” he added. “It’s not really a documentary … and that’s all I can really say.”
