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By the mid-1960s, The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, were four of the most famous people in the world. Their fans showed unprecedented dedication to the group; the band members could hardly go out in public without being swarmed. They had an incredible amount of influence, and Starr wished they had used it to spark positive change.

A black and white picture of Ringo Starr, George Harrison, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney of The Beatles wearing suits. Lennon plays harmonica.
Ringo Starr, George Harrison, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney | Harry Hammond/V&A Images/Getty Images

Ringo Starr wondered if The Beatles could have made a positive change with their power

McCartney admitted that The Beatles were not particularly politically aware in their early days as a band. He claims he politicized the group after a conversation with Bertrand Russell. After this, he said the band became vocal in their stance against the Vietnam War. They also voiced their support of the civil rights movement, refusing to play for segregated audiences. 

When looking back on his career and the massive influence of The Beatles, though, Starr wondered if the band could have done more.

“I feel now, on reflection, that we could have used our power a lot more for good,” he said, per The Beatles Anthology. “Not for politics, but just to be more helpful. We could have been some bigger force.”

He didn’t have regrets about the way they behaved. Still, he believed that if they’d organized, they could have used their star power for good.

“It’s an observation, not a regret — regrets are useless,” he said. “We could have been stronger for a lot more causes if we’d pulled it together.”

The former Beatles were more involved with social issues in their solo careers

Starr had a point. The Beatles were so popular that any cause they chose to loudly back would have had much to gain from their support. Because of their fame, though, they faced some challenges in doing this. McCartney admitted that their publicist did not want them to speak about the Vietnam War. They didn’t listen, but any comments they made, or songs they wrote about it didn’t have backing from their team. Their publicist could have helped them organize their support, making it more impactful. 

Perhaps for this reason, the band members were more vocal about the causes they supported during their solo careers. Lennon staged protests against the war, Harrison raised money for Bangladesh, Starr created the Lotus Foundation to promote social welfare, and McCartney spoke out in support of animal rights.

Ringo Starr and the rest of The Beatles had impressive net worths

Outside of their fame and social influence, each of The Beatles’ substantial net worths gave them the power to put their money to good use. Harrison and Lennon were worth hundreds of millions at the time of their deaths. Starr and McCartney, who are still working musicians, are worth $350 million and $1.2 billion, respectively (via Celebrity Net Worth).

This level of wealth allows them to donate millions of dollars to charity. Though Starr thought they could have done more as The Beatles, they’ve been able to put their money where their mouths are in their solo careers.

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