Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
After his spectacular rise in The Beatles, how Sir Paul McCartney became British music royalty and the UK's first billionaire rock star.
Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 bbc.in/3VyyriM
He enjoyed a spectacular rise in The Beatles and went on to become a gold-plated member of British music royalty. Hear how Sir Paul McCartney, one of the last century’s defining songwriters, became the UK's first billionaire rock star along the way. But how much of Sir Paul McCartney’s cash comes from royalties, tours or his ownership of other artists’ back catalogues?
BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng track Macca’s journey from his working-class Liverpudlian roots, through his incredible career in music, to joining the global financial elite.
Recorded live at the Crossed Wires Podcast Festival in Sheffield.
00:00 Introduction
04:35 Humble beginnings
06:48 Songwriting and meeting John Lennon
08:09 The making of The Beatles
11:00 The Cavern Club and Brian Epstein
13:46 The Fab Four and Beatlemania
16:10 How much money were the band making?
20:38 Money problems and The Beatles breakup
24:20 Fighting for the rights to his own songs
29:33 Linda and Wings
31:18 Making money from other people's music
32:40 Solo career, copyright and a divorce
35:16 New fans, back catalogue, and a billionaire
37:17 Rating Macca on wealth, controversy, power, and legacy
43:13 Views from the audience
Watch more episodes of Good Bad Billionaire on our playlist 👉🏽 youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4cokutQKfvpELC8KCarqzm-
Click here to listen to more episodes of Good Bad Billionaire 👉🏽 bbc.com/programmes/w3ct9bc1
Good Bad Billionaire is the podcast that explores the lives of the super-rich and famous, tracking their wealth, philanthropy, business ethics, and success. There are leaders who made their money in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and in high street fashion. From iconic celebrities and CEOs to titans of technology, the podcast unravels tales of fortune, power, economics, ambition and moral responsibility. Simon and Zing put their subjects to the test with a playful, totally unscientific scorecard — then hand the verdict over to you: are they good, bad, or simply billionaires?
Here's how to contact the team: email goodbadbillionaire@bbc.com or send a text or WhatsApp to +1 (917) 686-1176.
Find out more about the show and read our privacy notice at bbcworldservice.com/goodbadbillionaire.
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#BBCWorldService #WorldService #thebeatles #beatles #paulmccartney #billionaire
After his spectacular rise in The Beatles, how Sir Paul McCartney became British music royalty and the UK's first billionaire rock star.
Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 bbc.in/3VyyriM
He enjoyed a spectacular rise in The Beatles and went on to become a gold-plated member of British music royalty. Hear how Sir Paul McCartney, one of the last century’s defining songwriters, became the UK's first billionaire rock star along the way. But how much of Sir Paul McCartney’s cash comes from royalties, tours or his ownership of other artists’ back catalogues?
BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng track Macca’s journey from his working-class Liverpudlian roots, through his incredible career in music, to joining the global financial elite.
Recorded live at the Crossed Wires Podcast Festival in Sheffield.
00:00 Introduction
04:35 Humble beginnings
06:48 Songwriting and meeting John Lennon
08:09 The making of The Beatles
11:00 The Cavern Club and Brian Epstein
13:46 The Fab Four and Beatlemania
16:10 How much money were the band making?
20:38 Money problems and The Beatles breakup
24:20 Fighting for the rights to his own songs
29:33 Linda and Wings
31:18 Making money from other people's music
32:40 Solo career, copyright and a divorce
35:16 New fans, back catalogue, and a billionaire
37:17 Rating Macca on wealth, controversy, power, and legacy
43:13 Views from the audience
Watch more episodes of Good Bad Billionaire on our playlist 👉🏽 youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4cokutQKfvpELC8KCarqzm-
Click here to listen to more episodes of Good Bad Billionaire 👉🏽 bbc.com/programmes/w3ct9bc1
Good Bad Billionaire is the podcast that explores the lives of the super-rich and famous, tracking their wealth, philanthropy, business ethics, and success. There are leaders who made their money in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and in high street fashion. From iconic celebrities and CEOs to titans of technology, the podcast unravels tales of fortune, power, economics, ambition and moral responsibility. Simon and Zing put their subjects to the test with a playful, totally unscientific scorecard — then hand the verdict over to you: are they good, bad, or simply billionaires?
Here's how to contact the team: email goodbadbillionaire@bbc.com or send a text or WhatsApp to +1 (917) 686-1176.
Find out more about the show and read our privacy notice at bbcworldservice.com/goodbadbillionaire.
----------------
This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel.
If you like what we do, you can also find us here:
Instagram 👉🏽 instagram.com/bbcworldservice
Twitter 👉🏽 twitter.com/bbcworldservice
Facebook 👉🏽 facebook.com/bbcworldservice
BBC World Service website 👉🏽 bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio
Thanks for watching and subscribing!
#BBCWorldService #WorldService #thebeatles #beatles #paulmccartney #billionaire
