Ringo Starr Net Worth

What is Ringo Starr's net worth?

Ringo Starr is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and actor who has a net worth of $350 million. As you undoubtedly know, Ringo Starr earned fame and a massive fortune as the drummer for The Beatles. He occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, usually on one song on each album. He has also had a long solo career, releasing multiple hit singles, including "It Don't Come Easy," "Photograph," "You're Sixteen", and "Back Off Boogaloo." He continues to perform around the world today. Ringo Starr is the richest drummer in the world. In addition to his recording work, he has also enjoyed a moderately successful acting career, appearing on the children's television shows, "Thomas & Friends" and "Shining Times Station," hosting various television programs, and co-starring in such films as "Candy," "The Magic Christian," "That'll Be the Day," "Son of Dracula," "Lisztomania," "Caveman," and "Alice in Wonderland." He is a well-respected drummer among his peers and was ranked the 5th "Greatest Drummer of All Time" by Rolling Stone in 2011.

Ringo's life changed dramatically in 1962 when he was asked to join The Beatles, replacing their original drummer, Pete Best. With John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison, Ringo completed the lineup of what would soon become the world's most famous band. Although often in the background compared to the dominant songwriting duo of Lennon and McCartney, Starr's unique drumming style became an integral part of The Beatles' sound. He also contributed lead vocals to several notable tracks like "Yellow Submarine" and "With a Little Help from My Friends" and even wrote a few songs for the group, including "Octopus's Garden."

After The Beatles disbanded in 1970, Starr embarked on a solo career. His early albums, including "Ringo" and "Goodnight Vienna," achieved commercial success. His hit singles like "Photograph" and "You're Sixteen" showcased his knack for creating catchy, heartfelt tunes. Beyond music, Starr ventured into acting, appearing in films like "Caveman" and narrating the children's television series "Thomas & Friends."

Starr has also been a proponent of peace and love throughout his career, frequently promoting these ideals. He's been known to celebrate his birthdays with a call for a global moment of peace.

In recognition of his musical contributions, Ringo Starr was knighted in 2018, becoming Sir Richard Starkey. Today, he continues to tour and produce music, proving that his influence and passion for the craft remain undiminished.

Earnings

In 2013, more than 30 years after the Beatles broke up, Starr brought in $3 million from touring and record sales. Today, he can easily make $3-5 million per year with just a few live performances.

Early Life

Richard Starkey, better known as Ringo Starr, was born July 7, 1940, in Liverpool, England. He is the only child of confectioners Richard and Elsie Gleave. His parents separated and divorced when Ringo was a young boy. His father wasn't involved with his son after the divorce, and Ringo's mom took on housecleaning jobs before getting a job as a barmaid. When Ringo was six, he had a routine appendectomy for his appendicitis. He contracted peritonitis, which put him in a coma for several days. During his year-long recovery, he lived away from his family at the Myrtle Street Children's Hospital in Liverpool. He was discharged from the hospital in May 1948, and his mother kept him out of school. As a result, Ringo could not read or write at the age of eight. He was tutored twice a week for several years, and that got him caught up academically. In 1953, Ringo contracted tuberculosis and lived in a sanatorium for two years. The sanatorium encouraged their patients to join the hospital band both to stimulate motor skills and to alleviate boredom, leading to Ringo's first exposure to a percussion instrument: a makeshift mallet that he used to strike the cabinets next to his bed. As a result, Ringo became interested in drumming.

In 1954, Ringo's mother married Harry Graves, a huge fan of big band music. He introduced Ringo to recordings by Dinah Shore, Sarah Vaughan, and Billy Daniels. 

After his release from the sanatorium in late 1955, Starkey did not return to school and set out to find a job but was lacking in motivation and discipline; his initial attempts at gainful employment proved unsuccessful. Eventually, his stepfather got him a job as an apprentice machinist at Henry Hunt and Son, a Liverpool school equipment manufacturer, where he befriended Roy Trafford. The two bonded over their shared interest in music. 

It wasn't long before Ringo and Trafford began rehearsing songs during their lunch breaks. For Christmas 1957, Graves gave Ringo a second-hand drum kit. Over the next few years, Ringo developed his drumming skills and joined a number of local bands, including Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. It was at this time that he changed his name to Ringo Starr. By 1960, the Hurricanes were one of the most popular bands in Liverpool. Ringo was with the Hurricanes when he first met the Beatles in October 1960. On October 15, 1960, he drummed with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison, recording with them for the first time.

Career

He joined the Beatles in 1962, replacing Pete Best as the drummer. His quirky drumming style, caused by playing left-handed on a right-handed instrument, is often cited as an influence by modern percussion artists. He sang lead on several Beatles tracks, including "With a Little Help from My Friends," "Yellow Submarine," "Good Night," "I Wanna Be Your Man," "Boys," and their cover of "Act Naturally." He wrote "Don't Pass Me By" and "Octopus's Garden."

After the Beatles' breakup in 1970, Starr began a prolific solo career, releasing fifteen studio albums by 2010 and collaborating with a variety of artists, including former bandmate Paul McCartney. He has also appeared in a number of films, both with the Beatles and in the time after their split, and he narrated the children's television programs "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends" and "Shining Time Station" for two seasons each, eventually winning an Emmy Award for "Shining Time Station."

He has toured with more than a dozen variations of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Beatles and a solo artist, making him one of 21 performers inducted more than once.

He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2011, Rolling Stone readers named Starr the fifth-greatest drummer of all time.

In 2023, it was reported that Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, the two remaining members of The Beatles, are set to reunite and release music together.

Personal Life

In 1965, Ringo Star married Maureen Cox. Beatles manager Brian Epstein was the best man. His stepfather, Harry Graves, and George Harrison were witnesses. The couple had three children: Zak (1965), Jason (1967), and Lee (1970). The couple divorced in 1975 after Starr's repeated infidelities. He later admitted to being "a drunk, a wife-beater, and an absent father." Maureen passed away in 1994 at 48 from leukemia.

In 1980, Starr met actress Barbara Bach on the set of the film "Caveman." They married on April 27, 1981.

Starr has eight grandchildren: one from Zak, four from Jason, and three from Lee. In 2016, he was the first Beatle to become a great-grandfather.

Starr is a vegetarian and meditates daily. His catchphrase and motto for life is "peace and love."

In 2018, Starr was appointed a Knight Bachelor at the New Year Honours for services to music. And in 2022, Ringo received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Berklee College of Music for his impact on the industry.

Charity Garage Sale

Back in 2015, when Ringo and his wife, Barbara Bach, decided to clear out more than 1,300 pieces of memorabilia, the result was far from any ordinary garage sale. The couple ended up earning $9.2 million from the auction. But best of all, the money raised in this auction benefited the Lotus Foundation, which the couple set up in 2004 in light of the tsunami that devastated much of Southeast Asia.

The highlight of this collection was the 1963 Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl drum kit that Ringo was famous for playing. He used these drums to perform more than 200 Beatles concerts and to record many of the band's early hit singles, including "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "Can't Buy Me Love." This could be one of the most iconic drum sets in the history of rock and roll and ended up selling to Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay for $2.25 million.

It turns out Irsay is actually a huge Beatles fan and figured that the closest he could come to getting the band back together was to own one instrument from each band member. When he purchased Ringo's drum set, he finally accomplished that feat. Irsay previously paid $910,000 for a 1965 Rose-Morris Rickenbacker guitar that was given to Starr as a gift by Beatles guitarist John Lennon.

At the time, Jim Irsay revealed: "It took over $4 million and 45 years, but we finally got them back together. I know it's a symbolic thing, but it really means a lot to me."

Other noteworthy items sold at the auction included Starr's personal copy of the Beatles' 1968 self-titled album, commonly referred to as the "White Album." Stamped with the serial number A0000001, the vinyl record was the most expensive album ever sold at $790,000, beating the previous mark held by Elvis Presley at $300,000.

Also sold at the auction was a framed gold record award, which was presented to the band for selling one million copies of their hit single "I Want To Hold Your Hand," which went for $68,750. Ringo Starr's pinky ring that he wore as a Beatle, and with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, sold for $106,250. This collection was so big that the two-volume auction catalogs itself sold for $500 apiece.

Starr and his wife decided to unload a whole lot of their memorabilia, but did keep some meaningful items for themselves.

Real Estate

In 1971, Starr bought John Lennon's home, Tittenhurst Park at Sunninghill in Berkshire, and moved his family there.

Starr and Bach split their time between homes in Los Angeles, Cranleigh, England, and Monte Carlo. He also has a home in the Chelsea district of London, off of King's Road.