Forbes estimates Paul McCartney’s net worth at $1.4 billion in a new profile of the former Beatle’s music and business interests. The figure is Forbes’ valuation, not a public financial disclosure, and centers on a catalog and publishing business that has generated income across decades.

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A new estimate, with an earlier milestone

Forbes places McCartney among the world’s richest musicians, behind Jay-Z and Taylor Swift in its current estimate. The valuation is a new Forbes assessment, but the broad “billionaire” milestone is not new: the Associated Press reported in 2024 that the Sunday Times Rich List had already put McCartney above £1 billion, making him the first British musician to reach that mark in pounds. The different dates, currencies and list methodologies matter when comparing the headlines.

Forbes’ latest breakdown puts music publishing at the center. McCartney launched MPL Communications in 1969; the company manages his publishing interests and owns rights to songs by other writers, including Buddy Holly material and Broadway and Christmas standards. Forbes estimates MPL is worth at least $250 million. The Guardian’s report on the new estimate likewise points to publishing, royalties, touring and other assets as parts of the calculation.

Why music rights shape the valuation

Catalog ownership can produce revenue well after a song’s release through recordings, performances and licensing. Forbes estimates McCartney’s share of the Beatles’ songwriting copyrights is worth at least $200 million and brings in at least $10 million a year. The publication also cites touring, real estate and art among the other components of its estimate.

These numbers remain estimates of assets and future income rather than a verified account statement. McCartney’s wealth is difficult to measure from public information because private catalog rights, property and art do not trade on a single transparent market. The latest figure is best read as Forbes’ analysis of those holdings, not a precise measure of cash or a new announcement from McCartney.

For more reporting on artists and the music business, visit our Music coverage.

Sources

Forbes, original profile and valuation; The Guardian, report on Forbes’ estimate; Associated Press, 2024 coverage of the Sunday Times Rich List milestone.