Julian Lennon was the victim of one of the greatest injustices in the music world. The firstborn son of the legendary John Lennon not only suffered from his father’s estrangement from a very young age, but the singer also left him out of his will, forcing him into a grueling legal battle that no one knows if it was worth it.
Born in 1963, Julian Charles John Lennon is the product of John’s marriage to Cinthya Powell. Julian was only five years old when his parents divorced in 1968 because of John’s affair with Yoko Ono. The divorce created a rift between father and son that was never fully healed.
Although they were apparently on good terms at John’s death in 1980, the singer and founder of The Beatles left his fortune valued at £178 million (£715 million adjusted for inflation in 2024) to his widow, Yoko, and his youngest son, Sean.
Legal reports claim that Lennon left his son a £100,000 trust to share with his brother Sean. However, Julian began a 16-year legal battle to claim his share of the inheritance. The lawsuit was settled out of court with a settlement of £20 million, although reports indicate it would be less.
Julian’s net worth
Beyond being the son of a rock legend, Julian Lennon is a talented artist in his own right. Thanks to his work as a musician, actor, and producer, plus his father’s inheritance, Julian’s net worth amounts to around $50 million, according to specialized websites.
In his nearly 50-year career, Lennon has released numerous albums. However, his first, Valotte, has been his most successful so far. The LP released in 1984, spawned two top-10 hits and earned him a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 1985.
His other work has not been as successful, but Julian has continued to carve out a place for himself in the art world. In addition to his work as a musician, he has also worked as an actor and voice actor. More recently, he has also worked behind the scenes as a producer and executive producer.
The battle for John’s memorabilia
Julian and Yoko’s feud is not limited to money. After Lennon’s death, Ono refused to give Julian some of his father’s memorabilia, auctioning them off and forcing young Lennon to track down and buy each piece, ironically, out of his estate.
In this way, Julian recovered several letters and postcards that his father sent him, as well as the original draft of “Hey, Jude,” a song that Paul McCartney composed for him to console him after his parents’ divorce. Forty-four years after John’s death, his musical legacy is unquestionable, as is the emotional debt he acquired with his son, Julian.