At 81, Paul McCartney is worth £1 billion for the first time

Baby He’s a Rich Man. Paul McCartney has added another feather in his cap as the United Kingdom’s first billionaire musician, the Sunday Times reported in the 2024 edition of its annual Rich List, published Friday.

According to the Times, the 81-year-old Beatles alum and his wife Nancy are worth £1 billion ($1.3 billion), up from £950 million ($1.2 billion) in 2023. The newspaper attributed the milestone to McCartney’s longevity and continued appeal with fans across generational lines.

Oh, and Beyoncé.

Beyoncé earlier this year released her hit album “Cowboy Carter,” in which she reimagined the Beatles’ 1968 song “Blackbird,” originally written by McCartney. The pop icon made history as the first Black woman to come in at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums, according to Billboard, and McCartney praised the cover.

McCartney has released some music of his own over the past year: Last November, the Beatles released the chart-topping “Now and Then,” advertised as the group’s final song. Splicing together John Lennon’s vocals from a 1977 demo recording, George Harrison’s guitar playing, as well as McCartney and Ringo Starr’s recently-recorded parts, “Now and Then” debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the group’s 35th Top 10 hit.

The McCartneys’ net worth has been steadily climbing for the past six years, according to data from the Times, rising from about £750 million in 2018. In 2022, McCartney headlined at Glastonbury, England’s biggest music festival. It was his first time headlining the festival since 2004.

In June, the live studio album “One Hand Clapping,” is due to be released for the first time since it was initially recorded by McCartney’s band Wings in 1974. McCartney famously sang that he doesn’t care too much for money, but the new album’s release is expected to give the rock star’s net worth another boost.

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