Sir Elton John certainly isn’t short on cash, even if it took him a while to repay Gary Lineker.
The legendary musician, 76, is fresh off the back of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour which marked an end to the live performances in his stunning decades-long career.
With multiple number one hits, famous and even royal friends, and being one of the most recognisable faces in the world, no one was ever under any illusion that he was living pay cheque to pay cheque.
Which is why fans were in bits at the fact he told pundit Gary he was ‘strapped for cash’ when he was late paying him the £10 bet he lost.
Sir Elton had made a bet with Gary about a match between Leicester City and Watford FC, which Watford lost – and sent him a tenner in the post at the end of December, blaming the Christmas season for not having the money.
While it was a tongue-in-cheek comment, with Sir Elton more likely to have simply forgotten, procrastinated or, potentially, just terribly ashamed at losing to Gary, it’s worth looking at his finances to see just how ‘strapped for cash’ he really is.
In the last five years alone, the celebrated musician is reported to have made an eye-watering £118,600 every day – as he toured the world with his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.
The tour itself went on for five years, between 2018 and 2023, with the pandemic delaying shows, and ended with an unforgettable show at Glastonbury to mark the end of his live UK performances.
And over the course of just one year, the Candle in the Wind star made £43.3 million, according to The Sun.
Sir Elton also has 10 number one hits in the United Kingdom, including a Christmas number one with LadBaby and Ed Sheeran – and as everyone knows, Christmas songs can rake in the cash year after year.
(Slade star Noddy Holder previously described his hit Merry Xmas Everybody as essentially a pension plan, more than 50 years after its initial release.)
But it still took Sir Elton a whole two months to pay Gary, eventually sending him a £10 note in the post along with a short handwritten message.
He wrote: ‘Dear Gary, Sorry this is late! With Christmas we were left a little short! Have a great new year. It was so great to see you! Thank you. Love Elton.’
Gary shared the post to X and captioned it: ‘Never let it be said that Elton John doesn’t pay his debts. Leicester 2 Watford 0.’
The Cold Heart singer is a public supporter and former chairman for his local teamWatford and has been involved in the club since 1976.
We’re sure having to hand over the cash – as little as it is to him – still stung.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : Elton John left ‘a little short’ as he finally settles bet with Gary Lineker
MORE : Sir Elton John’s Candle in the Wind wasn’t originally about Marilyn Monroe
0 Comments