Who is the richest member of The Beatles? Net worths, ranked: John Lennon and Paul McCartney made millions from music, Ringo Starr appeared on The Simpsons and George Harrison produced Monty Python

Oct 26 , 2022

George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Ringo Starr, pictured in 1964, were together for just 10 years, but made enough money to set them and their families up for life. Photo: Apple Corps Ltd.

The Beatles have inspired everyone from Nirvana to Oasis, and the two members who are still alive, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, still make millions from touring

John Lennon’s music continues to earn his wife Yoko Ono millions per year, while George Harrison formed a supergroup with Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty

Come together! A new official music video of The Beatles’ “Taxman” was recently released to coincide with a remixed and expanded version of the 1966 album Revolver, which will launch on October 28. It follows the universally acclaimed similar Special Editions of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (2017), The Beatles: The White Album (2018), Abbey Road (2019), and Let It Be (2021).

Revolver is the legendary rock ‘n’ roll band’s second bestselling album with 27 million copies, only after Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band with 32 million copies, per Metal Castle.

British rock group The Beatles – comprised of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon and George Harrison – remains the most successful band of all time. Photo: AP

Formed in 1960, The Beatles altered the course of musical history by experimenting with different genres and instruments, and inspiring some of the biggest bands of future generations – from Nirvana to The Beach Boys and Oasis.

Active for only 10 years until 1970, the group’s music is still worshipped by millions, making them the world’s bestselling music band with over 600 million units sold worldwide, also according to Metal Castle. As a result, each of the Fab Four, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison, also became wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. But who made the most?

4. Ringo Starr: US$350 million

A 24-year-old Ringo Starr performs at the group’s first US concert in 1964. Photo: AP

Joining the band as the last member in 1962, Ringo Starr, or Richard Starkey, now 82, has been the beneficiary of millions per year from The Beatles’ music, making him the richest drummer of all time, per Drumming News Network, with a fortune of US$350 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

In fact, he has never really taken a career break. After the band split, the musician has enjoyed a prolific solo career, releasing 20 albums, including the latest one, What’s My Name, in 2019, when he was almost 80 years old. He also founded Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band, with whom he has earned millions from almost 200 gigs that gross an average of US$300,000 per night, according to Forbes.

After leaving The Beatles, Ringo Starr took up acting and voice-over work, released numerous solo albums, and wrote several books. Photo: AFP

Impressively, music is not his only income stream. Starr has tried his hand at acting on numerous occasions, appearing in dozens of films and TV shows, including with The Beatles, and lending his voice to popular shows The Simpsons or Thomas & Friends, according to his IMDB profile.

He has also published six books including a memoir, a children’s book and, most recently, a photo book called Lifted: Fab Images and Memories in My Life with the Beatles From Across the Universe. The book is full of photos of himself with his bandmates, and putting it together “brought back so many fabulous memories”, he said in a statement.