Andrew Lloyd Webber, Paul McCartney among richest British music figures

Andrew Lloyd Webber is up and Paul McCartney is down in an annual list of Britain's richest music figures, released Friday.

Photo: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Paul McCartney among richest British music figures

Lloyd Webber's fortune was valued at 750 million pounds (US$1.5 billion; EUR1.1 billion) by the Sunday Times' annual Rich List, up 50 million pounds from last year. The 59-year-old composer has had a good year thanks to his role as producer of a West End revival of "The Sound of Music," whose star was chosen by a reality TV program.

He was in second place on the music list behind Clive Calder, the former Zomba records label boss whose acts included Britney Spears and 'N Sync. Calder's fortune was estimated at 1.3 billion pounds (US$2.6 billion; EUR1.9 billion).

McCartney ranked third with a fortune estimated at 725 million pounds (US$1.4 billion; EUR1.1 billion), down 100 million pounds (US$200 million; EUR145 million) from last year due to the estimated cost of his upcoming divorce from Heather Mills.

Also in the top 10 are theater producer Cameron Mackintosh; "American Idol" impresario Simon Fuller; pop queen Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie; Elton John; Mick Jagger; entertainment entrepreneur Robert Stigwood; crooner Tom Jones; and Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.

The newspaper's full list of the 1,000 wealthiest Britons will be published on Sunday.