John Lennon Net Worth: How Much The Beatles Star Made In His Lifetime

People have always wondered how much John Lennon’s net worth is valued at. And we’re here to find out. John Lennon, whose solo and paired collaborations as a performer, writer, and co-writer earned him 25 number-one singles in the US Hot 100 chart was the most popular Beatles star as well as its founder. He created some of the most iconic songs of the 1960s, among them I Want to Hold Your Hand, Can’t Buy Me Love, She Loves You, Yesterday, Hey Jude, and many more.

He was an advocate for peace and famously returned his Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) medal from Queen Elizabeth in protest of British involvement in the war in Vietnam and a civil war in Nigeria.

Born on the 9th of October, 1940 John Lennon was born in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, during a German air raid in World War II. When he was four years old, Lennon's parents separated and he ended up living with his Aunt Mimi.

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Lennon's mother, Julia, taught Lennon how to play the banjo and the piano and purchased his first guitar. Lennon was devastated when Julia was fatally struck by a car driven by an off-duty police officer in July 1958. Her death was one of the most traumatic events in his life.

How did John Lennon Make His Money?

John Lennon was a founding member of The Beatles, the best-selling band in history and one that revolutionized popular music and pop culture. He also had a successful solo career following The Beatles’ split.

The singer/songwriter/musician, along with fellow Beatle Paul McCartney, created some of the most iconic songs of the 1960s.

The Beatles were discovered by Brian Epstein in 1961 at Liverpool's Cavern Club, where they were performing regularly. As their new manager, Epstein secured a record contract with EMI. With a new drummer, Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey), and George Martin as their producer, the group released their first single, Love Me Do, in October 1962. It peaked on the British charts at No. 17.

The Beatles were arguably the most famous band of all time. During the 20th century, the group had musical hit after musical hit. They reached worldwide fame, and to this day, the band still remains a household name.

John Lennon’s music career is one that deserves high praise. The acclaimed singer and songwriter had 11 studio albums, 14 compilation albums, and two live albums. His discography includes top peaking albums like Double Fantasy, Imagine, and Rock ‘N’ Roll. At different times, he also collaborated with his wife Yoko Ono and The Plastic Ono Band on several projects. The 1970 album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band has sold 2.9 million copies worldwide. The album has also been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

John Lennon’s next project, his 1971 album Imagine, has sold over 8 million copies worldwide. The follow-up, 1972’s Some Time in New York City, sold 980,000 copies worldwide. Lennon stepped up the game, crossing over the million mark with 1973’s Mind Games. It has sold over 2 million copies.

John Lennon’s most successful album can be attributed to none other than his 1980 collaboration with Yoko Ono Double Fantasy. It sold so many copies that it got certified platinum by the RIAA three times! Other nations like Germany and France’s respective music industries rated it Gold and Platinum respectively. Now for that figure. Double Fantasy has sold a whopping 9.4 million copies worldwide.

John Lennon and Elton John

The Beatles worldwide album sales are estimated to exceed 600 million copies since they started their music in 1963; this includes physical and digital copies. But not only were they selling millions of albums around the globe, but they were also selling out concerts and had their songs covered by hundreds of other artists. Each time The Beatles got money from their music, it added to John Lennon’s net worth. John Lennon's album sales worldwide are in the millions. Estimates put his records sold in the United States alone are over 14 million copies! With all this, John Lennon’s net worth grew astoundingly huge.

At the time of his death, John Lennon’s estimated net worth stood at $800 million. Obviously, had his life not ended tragically, he’d have become a billionaire in the following years. His final albums as a solo artist (and with wife Yoko Ono) were among his most successful projects. Of course, anyone who listens to the lyrics of Imagine would think these numbers didn’t matter much to him. It’s would have been impossible for Lennon as a young man to conceive of that sort of wealth (as it is for any young person).