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Forbes values Paul McCartney at $1.4bn, making him a billionaire

Forbes has put Paul McCartney's net worth at about $1.4 billion, ranking him the world's third-richest musician behind Jay-Z and Taylor Swift. It cites his publishing catalog, Beatles income, touring and art.

6 outlets · 2L · 3C · 1R First reported Account updated

Updated (version 3). New coverage since the last version from Anadolu Agency, Evening Standard, Newsweek.

Image: Variety
Image: Evening Standard
Image: Daily Mail
Image: Anadolu Agency
Image: The Guardian
Image: Newsweek

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The story, neutrally told

Left · 2Forbes has ranked Paul McCartney's net worth at about $1.4 billion, making him a billionaire. Left · 2That puts him third among the world's richest musicians, behind Jay-Z at $2.8bn and Taylor Swift at $2bn. Left · 2Variety reports that Forbes gave him the designation with the launch of its newsletter "The Billie". Forbes attributes his wealth to his catalog, legal maneuvers, tours and art collection.

Left · 2Most of the fortune comes from MPL Communications, the publishing company he founded in 1969, which manages his own catalog and other artists' copyrights. Its holdings include songs by Buddy Holly, Broadway musical scores and Christmas standards, which account for nearly a quarter of a billion dollars. Right · 1The Daily Mail adds that the Beatles' publisher Dick James controlled the copyrights to the band's songs, which McCartney called "a slave contract" in a 2017 Forbes essay, and that setting up MPL in 1969 let him keep control of his solo-career publishing and master recordings and secure a bigger cut of royalties. Left · 2As one of four Beatles, he receives 25% of earnings from the band's Apple Corps holding company, which generates about $50m a year from streaming, vinyl and merchandise. Variety says Forbes values that income stream at more than $150 million per member or estate.

Left · 2He also earns around $10m a year from the Beatles' songwriting copyrights, which he fought for in US and UK courts over two decades. Forbes estimates they are worth at least $200m. Left · 2The estimate also counts touring, including 79 shows on the Got Back tour from 2022 to 2025, real estate around the world and an art collection with works by Magritte and Picasso. Centre · 1The Evening Standard adds that the Beatles achieved 16 UK number one albums and 18 UK number one singles, and that McCartney's real estate includes properties across the UK and the Hamptons.

Left · 2McCartney, 84, remains active. He released his 20th solo album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, in May, and is the subject of Morgan Neville's documentary Man on the Run. The Guardian adds that he was musical guest on that month's Saturday Night Live finale and, in July, performed I Want to Hold Your Hand for the first time in 60 years at Swift's wedding to Travis Kelce. Right · 1The Daily Mail reports that The Boys of Dungeon Lane charted at number one in Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and that Sam Mendes' forthcoming Beatles biopics, one per band member, have Paul Mescal playing McCartney. Centre · 1Anadolu Agency reports that McCartney declined to comment on the magazine's valuation.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left2 outlets

Framing
Variety and The Guardian report the Forbes ranking as a celebratory milestone news item, mostly relaying Forbes's breakdown of his income sources.
Emphasis
Publishing catalog, Apple Corps share, songwriting copyrights, touring and art. The Guardian adds sterling conversions and his recent cultural moments, such as SNL and Swift's wedding.
Leaves out or plays down
Neither outlet questions Forbes's methodology or reports McCartney's reply to the valuation. Neither addresses wealth inequality.
For example
“Paul McCartney has joined the pantheon of billionaires as Forbes has ranked his net worth at approximately $1.4 billion.” — Variety

Centre3 outlets

Framing
The Evening Standard and Anadolu Agency present the ranking as a straightforward news item. The Standard gives a career profile with sterling conversions; Anadolu gives a short wire-style summary.
Emphasis
The Standard stresses MPL, the Apple Corps share, the Beatles' chart record and his Oscar, Emmy and 19 Grammys; Anadolu stresses royalties, MPL's value and that McCartney declined to comment.
Leaves out or plays down
Anadolu leaves out the Apple Corps breakdown and recent career milestones; the Standard does not report McCartney's response or question Forbes's methodology.
For example
“Sir Paul McCartney has become a billionaire and is now the world’s third-richest musician.” — Evening Standard
“declined to comment on the magazine's valuation.” — Anadolu Agency

Right1 outlet

Framing
The Daily Mail leads with his age and the size of the fortune in an upbeat, showbiz-style item, relaying Forbes's figures with added backstory on how he took control of his publishing.
Emphasis
The Dick James 'slave contract' history behind MPL, his shrewd catalog purchases, his number-one album and the Sam Mendes biopics, with Paul Mescal as McCartney.
Leaves out or plays down
It gives no McCartney response to the valuation and does not question Forbes's methodology; it omits the Forbes newsletter launch and the sterling conversions the Guardian gives.
For example
“Sir Paul McCartney has become a billionaire at the age of 84.” — Daily Mail

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