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Brian Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys, known for hits such as California Girls and Good Vibrations, has passed away at the age of 82.
According to a report in the USA Today, his family confirmed his news in a social media post on June 11, 2025, but didn’t mention the cause of his demise. They wrote:
“We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy.”
According to Celebrity Net Worth, his net worth is estimated to be around $100 million at the time of his death. Despite having a successful career, Wilson’s life was marked by his struggles with substance abuse and mental illness.
In 1961, he wrote his first original song, Surfer Girl. He later recorded another song, Surfin', along with his brothers, Dennis and Carl, cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine, and soon they formed the band, the Beach Boys.
Here is all you need to know about Brian Wilson’s massive fortune.
A look into the fortune of The Beach Boys icon Brian Wilson as he dies at 82
Brian Wilson, the creative force behind The Beach Boys, has left an enduring legacy of music behind after his passing. Speaking to Ability Magazine in 2006, he explained how his band was formed. He said:
“It started in Hawthorne, California, where we grew up, outside of Los Angeles. I rented some instruments along with my brothers Carl and Dennis, my cousin Mike and my friend Al Jardine. We played a little and realized our voices blended well combined with the instruments. My Dad had also been a music producer and a publisher, and he got us a connection for some studio time. And the rest is history.”
Decades of songwriting and tours earned him a good fortune of around $100 million. As Wilson was the primary songwriter, producer, and vocalist for The Beach Boys, he had a pivotal role in the success of the band.
According to Marca, Wilson's exceptional songwriting contributed to more than two dozen of the band's Top 40 hits. He earned royalties and “points” from the sale of over 100 million albums, per a report in Finance Monthly.
But, unfortunately, Wilson lost out on hundreds of millions due to the sale of his publishing rights in 1969. This decision, made by his father, Murray, deprived him of future royalties from his most famous songs. The sale reportedly was valued at just $700,000 at the time (equivalent to around $5 million today). According to Marca, he said:
“Unfortunately, in 1969, my father made the horrendous decision to sell the publishing company we co-owned, which controlled the rights to most of my biggest hits.”
The report further added that in 1961, he was awarded $25 million in damages after suing for fraud related to the sale of his early music publishing rights by his father.
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Other factors that contributed to Wilson’s net worth included solo albums like Imagination (1998) and No Pier Pressure (2015), his 2014 biopic Love & Mercy, and the 2021 documentary Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road, and properties acquired by him, which added to his fortune.
A report in Men’s Journal indicated that in comparison to his contemporaries, Wilson’s net worth is modest. For instance, Paul McCartney is worth $1.3 billion, Bob Dylan’s closer to $300 million, and Mick Jagger’s is around $500 million.
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