Paul McCartney ranked third-richest musician with $1.4bn fortune
Forbes estimates Sir Paul McCartney's wealth at $1.4bn, about R23 billion, placing him third among the world's richest musicians behind Jay-Z and Taylor Swift.
Sir Paul McCartney has been placed third on a list of the world’s richest musicians, with a fortune estimated at $1.4 billion, or roughly R23 billion. IOL reported that the ranking comes from Forbes, which put the 84-year-old former Beatle behind only Jay-Z and Taylor Swift.
Jay-Z’s wealth is estimated at $2.8 billion, while Swift is valued at $2 billion.
Where the money comes from
Performing and recording are only part of the picture. A large share of McCartney’s wealth is tied to MPL Communications, a music publishing business he started in 1969. It holds a wide catalogue of copyrights, including songs by other writers. Among them are works linked to rock and roll pioneer Buddy Holly, Broadway musical scores and well-known Christmas songs.
Publishing rights pay out whenever a song is performed, streamed or licensed. That gives the owner a steady income that does not depend on releasing new material.
His ties to The Beatles also keep paying. McCartney receives a share of earnings from Apple Corps, the company the band set up. It reportedly brings in about $50 million a year from streaming royalties, record sales and merchandise. Forbes values his own songwriting catalogue at about $200 million.
Touring adds to the total. His Got Back tour ran from 2022 to 2025 and covered 79 shows. He is also reported to hold property abroad and an art collection that includes pieces by Pablo Picasso and René Magritte.
Still working in his 80s
McCartney has not slowed down creatively. He put out the album The Boys of Dungeon Lane in May 2026 and played at the closing episode of that season of Saturday Night Live in the same month. A documentary about his life after The Beatles broke up, Man on the Run, was directed by Morgan Neville.
What the figures show
The rand amount given in the report is an approximate conversion of the dollar estimate, so it will shift with the exchange rate. The ranking is also an estimate from Forbes rather than a confirmed account of his finances.
The list does show how much of a top musician’s wealth can come from owning songs and building a business around them, not only from selling albums or filling stadiums. In McCartney’s case, decades of songwriting, publishing deals and touring have added up to one of the largest fortunes in music.
This story is based on reporting by IOL.
