Ringo Starr's net worth is estimated to be approximately $350 million.
Overview
Ringo Starr's net worth stats
Net worth: | $350 million |
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Source of wealth: | Music |
Date of birth: | July 7, 1940 |
Place of birth: | Liverpool, United Kingdom |
Early life
Ringo Starr was born Richard Starkey on July 7, 1940, in Dingle, Liverpool. He is a musician, singer, and songwriter who became famous as the drummer with The Beatles. At the age of six, Starkey developed appendicitis. Following a routine appendectomy, he contracted peritonitis, causing him to fall into a coma that lasted days. His recovery spanned twelve months, which he spent away from his family at Liverpool's Myrtle Street Children's Hospital. Upon his discharge in May 1948, his mother allowed him to stay home, causing him to miss school.
In 1953, illness struck Starkey again as he contracted tuberculosis. Subsequently, he was admitted to an infirmary for nearly two years. To stimulate motor activity and enhance quicker recovery, the hospital encouraged the patients to join the hospital band and indulge in music. This was when he began to develop an interest in drumming. Unfortunately, his mother, Elsie, adopted an overprotective approach to raising her son that bordered on obsession. At the same time, his father was much more distant, hardly bonding with his child and choosing to spend long hours drinking and dancing in pubs, sometimes for several consecutive days. Ringo later stated that he has "no real memories" of his father.
Education
Due to his extensive illness as a child, Ringo was uneducated and illiterate until age eight. Starkey then attended St. Silas, a Church of England primary school near his house where his classmates nicknamed him "Lazarus," and later, Dingle Vale Secondary modern school, where he showed an aptitude for art and drama. As he had fallen behind in academia, he entered the workforce but lacked motivation and discipline; his initial attempts at gainful employment proved unsuccessful. He was briefly employed by British Rail, but failed medical examinations, so he ended up on employment benefits. He took up several odd jobs. Sometime around 1956, he worked as an apprentice machinist for an equipment manufacturer. While he worked there, he became friends with Roy Trafford, who was also interested in music.
In 1960, he met the Liverpool band The Beatles and joined them two years later, replacing Pete Best. Soon, he was on the path to success with his new band members, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney.
Family life
Starkey by no means had an easy upbringing. His parents, Richard Starkey and Elsie Gleave (confectioners), divorced in 1944, and his mother took on several menial jobs to make ends meet. In 1953, his mother re-married an ex-Londoner named Harry Graves. Nevertheless, his family was supportive of his musical interests. Starkey once said, "My grandparents gave me a mandolin and a banjo, but I didn't want them. My grandfather gave me a harmonica ... we had a piano—nothing. Only the drums." Both Starkey's parents would be dead by the late 1980s.
The biographer of "The Beatles" would describe the area Starkey grew up in as "poorly ventilated, postage-stamp-sized houses ... patched together by crumbling plaster walls, with a rear door that opened onto an outhouse." Adding to their difficult circumstances, violent crime was an almost constant concern for people living in one of Liverpool's oldest and poorest inner-city districts. However, Starkey later commented: "You kept your head down, your eyes open, and you didn't get in anybody's way."
Starkey married Maureen "Mo" Tigrett in 1965, and the couple had three children together, Zak, Jason, and Lee, before divorcing in 1975. He married Barbara Bach in 1981 after meeting her on the movie "Caveman" film set the previous year.
Starr now has eight grandchildren: two from Zak, three from Jason, and three from Lee. In 2016, he was the first Beatle to become a great-grandfather.
How did Ringo Starr build his net worth?
As mentioned, Ringo Starr is most known for being a part of The Beatles. The English rock band was wildly popular in the 60s, and their hits are still played and loved worldwide today; they released a nearly endless stream of hit songs and albums. Although the band broke up in 1970, its legacy lives on; in 2019 alone, it raked in more than $67 million. As a drummer, Ringo has always been talented and has made music for decades which is one of the main reasons he has amassed such impressive wealth. He was knighted in 1997 for his contributions to music, so he is now known as Sir Richard Starkey.
Aside from his prowess on the drums, he also made appearances in several movies in the 60s. Ringo was the group's comic, which translated well on-screen, even after the band broke up. His love for music also extended beyond his time with the Beatles. He continued his solo career as a drummer releasing several albums. In addition, he collaborated with the band members individually and took on more movie roles. Many years after the Beatles broke up, Ringo started a new band, and they have been performing since. Starr also narrated "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends"(and starred in its spinoff, "Shining Time Station"). He reportedly negotiated a 5.1% share in Britt Allcroft Company, which produced the shows. In 2002, the company sold for $139 million—netting him more than $7 million for his shares alone.
He is also the author of several books, including one of his photography (aptly titled "Photograph"), and teaches a drumming course for MasterClass.
How has Ringo Starr spent his wealth?
Starr and Bach own multiple properties and split their time between homes in Cranleigh, a comfortable mansion on a 200-acre English estate, Los Angeles, and Monte Carlo. His LA home is in Beverley Hills, close to Jennifer Aniston's.
Not much else is known about the famous drummer's spending habits though he supports around 11 charities for various causes, from AIDS, sexual assault recovery, human rights, and weapons reduction.
FAQs
How rich is Ringo Starr?
Ringo Starr is not the wealthiest Beatle. That accolade belongs to Paul McCartney; however, it is believed Starr makes approximately $10 Million annually. He is the wealthiest drummer in the world., one
Is Ringo Starr a millionaire?
Yes, Ringo Starr and his fellow Beatles held the top five spots on Billboard 100 in April 1964, an achievement likely to remain unmatched. They made $25 million that year (translating to $180 million today) and have all remained millionaires, billionaires in some cases since.
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