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Paul McCartney is the first UK musician to become a billionaire
His growth in wealth has been attributed to touring, the release of Now And Then, and the Beyoncé cover of Blackbird.
Image: Dave J Hogan / Getty
Sir Paul McCartney has become the UK’s first billionaire musician, according to a new rich list of 350 people.
McCartney’s net worth is said to have boomed over the last year, as he has been named as the 165th richest person with a net worth of £1 billion.
The Rich List has been curated by The Sunday Times, and lists hundreds of individuals and families, along with their wealth, its rise or fall, and the source of their wealth. The publication reports that in the past year, McCartney has boosted his wealth by £50 million.
It is estimated that this growth occurred following McCartney’s time spent touring during 2023, his mighty catalogue of music, and a likely boost from the release of Now And Then – the ‘final’ Beatles song with which featured all four members.
It was created using assistance from AI technology, which cleared up an old demo recorded by John Lennon back in 1977. The release of the Let It Be documentary is also a likely factor.
The Beatles’ Blackbird was also covered by Beyoncé on her new country-influenced album, COWBOY CARTER. McCartney, who wrote the song, has since praised the superstar for her take on the track, which was originally written about racial tension in the south of the USA.
Other artists included in the UK rich list, just shy of billionaire status, are Sir Elton John – who additionally came in at eighth place in the rankings of the proportion of wealth given or generated for charity – and Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones.
Meanwhile, Harry Styles, Adele, and Ed Sheeran all feature on the 40 Under 40 Rich List with Sheeran coming in as the richest musician in 10th place for a reported wealth of £340 million.