Sir Paul McCartney is UK's first music billionaire
Sir Paul McCartney has become the UK's first billionaire musician, according to the new Sunday Times Rich List.
Sir Paul McCartney has become the UK's first billionaire musician.
The Beatles legend has seen his wealth double from £50 million to once again take the top spot in this year's Sunday Times Rich List, thanks to his 2023 'Got Back' tour, the increase in value of his back catalogue, the re-release of two Beatles compilation albums, and Beyonce covering 'Blackbird' on her new album 'Cowboy Carter.
He previously took the top spot in 2022, when his fortune was estimated at £865 million, and 2023 when he had £950 million.
Sir Elton John's 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road' tour helped steer him to second on the musicians list with £470 million, ahead of Rolling Stones rockers Sir Mick Jagger and Keith Richards with £415 million.
Other notable names on this year's list included theatre legend Andrew Lloyd Webber, with £515 million, £100 million more than Simon Cowell, and David and Victoria Beckham with £455 million.
The publication's 40 Under 40 list - which was topped by the Duke of Westminster, thanks to his £10.1 billion fortune - featured the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Anthony Joshua, Harry Styles, and Adele.
The main list - which has a minimum wealth entry of £350 million - was again topped by Gopi Hinduja and his family, with their £37.2 billion the largest fortune ever recorded by the newspaper.
The total list of 350 entrants had a combined wealth of £795.3 billion, a larger sum than Poland's economy, but the outlet said the list suggested "Britain’s billionaire boom has come to an end".
Robert Watts, who compiles the annual table, said: "Many of our home-grown entrepreneurs have seen their fortunes fall and some of the global super rich who came here are moving away.
"Thousands of British livelihoods rely on the super-rich to some extent.
"We’ll have to wait and see whether we have now reached peak billionaire, and what that means for our economy."
