John Lennon Net Worth At Time of Death: Not The Richest Beatles Member

KEY POINTS

John Lennon was the second richest Beatles member at the time of his death
The richest member of the English rock band remains Paul McCartney
Lennon's widow Yoko Ono, who was his primary heir, currently has a net worth of $700 million

While he co-founded the Beatles along with Paul McCartney, John Lennon was not the richest member of the English rock band at the time of his death in 1980.

Lennon, who was the co-lead vocalist, co-songwriter and rhythm guitarist of the band, had a net worth of $200 million in 1980, making him the second richest member of the Beatles after McCartney at the time, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The amount is equivalent to $620 million in today's dollars after adjusting for inflation.

In that year, McCartney was worth an estimated $400 million. The net worth of Beatles lead guitarist George Harrison, who died in 2001, was said to be $100 million at the time, while drummer Ringo Starr's was $80 million.

In the decades after his death, Lennon's estate generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from royalties, merchandise, licensing fees and others. His widow Yoko Ono, who was his primary heir, now has a net worth of $700 million.

Today, McCartney remains the richest Beatles member, with a net worth of $1.2 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The 79-year old's fortune makes him one of the wealthiest musicians in the world.

Starr, meanwhile, is currently estimated to be worth $350 million.

The Beatles became the first British band to break out big in the U.S., starting with their appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in February 1964.

The band became known for their numerous hits, such as "Hey Jude," "Come Together," "She Loves You," "Let It Be," "A Hard Day’s Night," "Blackbird," "A Day In The Life," "Here Comes The Sun," "In My Life" and many others.

Among the songs Lennon wrote for the Beatles were "Strawberry Fields Forever," "Help," "In My Life" and "Tomorrow Never Knows."

Lennon left the Beatles in September 1969, just after the group completed recording "Abbey Road." Not long after the band broke up, he released his debut solo album, "John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band."

He followed that project with his song "Imagine," which became the most commercially successful of all Lennon's creations.

Lennon died on Dec. 8, 1980, at the age of 40 after he was shot four times in the back by obsessed fan Mark David Chapman outside of the singer's apartment building in New York City.