Newly-announced billionaire, McCartney, now the world’s third-richest musician

Sir Paul McCartney has joined the pantheon of billionaires as Forbes has ranked his net worth at approximately $1.4 billion.

The publication gave him the designation with the launch of its newsletter ‘The Billie,’ which cites his catalogue, legal manoeuvres, tours and art collection as the bulk of his fortune. With $1.4 billion in net worth, he is the world's third-richest musician behind Taylor Swift, with $2 billion and Jay-Z, with $2.8 billion.

According to Forbes, the bulk of McCartney's fortune comes from MLP Communications, his publishing company that he launched in 1969 and manages his own catalogue as well as other artists' copyrights. The publication notes that McCartney's acquisition of catalogues from artists like Buddy Holly, plus Broadway musical scores and Christmas standards, contributes significantly to his wealth, accounting for nearly a quarter of a billion dollars.

Elsewhere, as one-fourth of the Beatles, McCartney gets 25 percent of earnings from the Beatles' Apple Corps holding company, which generates $50 million annually from streaming, vinyl sales and merch. Forbes estimates that the income stream is worth more than $150 million for each member or their estate.

He also makes $10 million per year based on his share of Beatles song-writing copyrights, which he legally fought for over the past two decades. That's worth at least $200 million.

The total sum of his earnings includes world tours, most recently with ‘Got Back,’ which counted 79 shows from 2022 through 2025, plus real estate across the globe and an art collection that includes paintings from Magritte and Picasso. McCartney remains highly active as a musician, most recently releasing his 20th solo album ‘The Boys of Dungeon Lane’ this past May.

Sir Paul is also the subject of the documentary ‘Man on the Run,’ directed by Morgan Neville and detailing his life following his departure from the Beatles and the launch of his group Wings.