Why Ringo Starr's Son Doesn't Believe He'll Inherit Millions

Ringo Starr's oldest son, Zak Starkey, doesn't have as much money as the kids of the other members of the Beatles. And it's not because Starr cut him out of his will. Some of their parents — John Lennon and George Harrison — are no longer with us. "[They have] loads of money because their dads are dead," Starkey shared with The Telegraph in June 2025. "James's mum [Linda McCartney] is dead. Left him a lot of money." He continued, [But] my mum [Maureen Starkey, Starr's first wife] died skint [in 1994] with a whole desk-full of brown envelopes that she never opened because she spent all her money on her friends."

Starr is worth $350 million, so he likely could afford to loan his son some cash if he needed it. With that said, Starkey has been doing pretty well without his father's money. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he's worth $20 million all on his own. He's been working professionally as a drummer for most of his adult life. Most notably, Starkey was a drummer for The Who for roughly 30 years, although he also played for Oasis. But make no mistake about it, he knows he's not nearly as known as his famous father or his former bandmates. "I am not a rock 'n' roll star," he told Modern Drummer in 2006. "I'm not famous, I suppose," he continued, adding, "But I am a very successful musician." Given his resume, we can't exactly argue there (even if he experienced a major career upheaval when The Who let him go in 2025).

Zak Starkey isn't the only Beatles child who has at least one living parent. Ringo Starr also has a daughter, Lee, and another son, Jason. And Paul McCartney is still alive and well, which means his five children have gotten to enjoy the fruits of his labor over the years. By the way, McCartney's net worth is absolutely astronomical. As of June 2026, he's worth $1.2 billion. In addition to the wealth accrued from his work with the Beatles, he's also carved out an impressive solo musical career, which has cemented him as one of the most successful and revered artists of all time. With that said, it's unclear whether McCartney plans to leave his billion-dollar fortune to any of his children when all is said and done.

Regardless, McCartney's kids have grown up with a highly devoted father who takes pride in the job. He's also opened up about his journey over the years. "I've always just tried to give my kids a bit of guidance, if they seem to need it  — but that was mainly when they were younger," he revealed about the dynamic with his kids on his website. "Now that they are older, they're guiding me! They don't need so much guidance these days but if there's ever a problem, I'm very happy to be the guy they come to." He continued, "So, that's largely the thing of being a dad. You're just there to help, and ... have fun with. ... Now they're older we can have a drink together, for instance! "