According to 2024 Sunday Times Rich List, Paul McCartney is the first UK musician billionaire.
The list has 350 families and individuals, which includes King Charles, the current British Prime Minister and also a Catholic priest.
The most significant name in the entertainment industry near the top of the list is Salma Hayek. She and billionaire husband François-Henri Pinault are at number 31 with their £6.147 billion ($7.81 billion) in fashion and film. Pinault is CEO of Kering, which owns luxury brands such as Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Gucci and Alexander McQueen.
The Billionaire Beatle
Sir Paul (formerly of The Beatles) and wife Nancy came in at number 165 with their wealth at £1 billion ($1.27 billion). Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling is at number 175. The best-selling author has in recently been critical of transgender people's rights and livelihoods. Her wealth stands at £945 million ($1.2 billion).
Sir Elton John is at number 291 with his £470 million. Six places below him are Posh & Becks, Victoria and David Beckham whose businesses in the sporting and fashion worlds netted them £455 million ($575 million).
Music mogul Simon Cowell, creator of X-Factor and America's Got Talent, with his £415 million ($525 million) is at number 315. He's tied with The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
Formula 1 Fortune
At the last spot is Formula One superstar Sir Lewis Hamilton with his £350 million ($443 million), largely thanks to his massively successful 17 years and counting career in F1. The British racer was Tommy Hilfiger's first menswear ambassador, and is almost always the best-dressed on the paddock during race days. He's set to leave Mercedes, his race home for the last 10 years, for Ferrari in the 2025 season.
The Sunday Times Rich List is a list of 1,000 of the wealthiest people and families who reside in the UK, ranked by their net worth. It's an annual list updated in April and published as The Sunday Times' magazine supplement. The first list was published in 1989.
The List isn't limited to British citizens. It also includes individuals and families who are are born overseas, but primarily work and/or live in Britain. The list also excludes some individuals who have prominent financial assets in the UK.
The first time Queen Elizabeth II was not part of the list was in 2015. In the inaugural issue, she was number one.
According to The Richest, there are currently five billionaire musicians in the world. Number five is the very controversial Sean “P Diddy” Combs with an estimated $1 billion net worth.
Number four is Taylor Swift, with her $1 billion, who is the first to become a billionaire based only on her songwriting and performances. McCartney is third on the list.
Coming in second is Rihanna with an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion and is the first Black woman to head a luxury brand under LVMH. The current richest musician in the world is Jay-Z, who has an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion. He became the world's first billionaire musician in 2019.
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