He is proud to take advantage of the wealth he inherited from his parents.
Sean Ono Lennon, the son of legendary musician John Lennon, has been vocal about how dependent he is on the money made by The Beatles’ songs for his financial well-being.
In an interview, Sean, who also makes money by writing film soundtracks, stated his conviction that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with how he supports himself.
Sean’s financial privilege was brought up in a 1998 interview with Rolling Stone. Without hesitation, he acknowledged, “I am relying on my parents’ wealth. Completely. But it would be stupid to throw the money away. That would be denial. I can’t deny who I am.”
He continued by saying that his primary source of income is from inheriting the publication rights to the Beatles’ songs. “I’m very lucky in that I don’t have to worry about money, simply from the inheritance. I inherited the [song] publishing, so I make money from The Beatles’ stuff. That’s where my bread and butter comes from.”
Despite it, Sean is careful not to misuse his privilege and feels that he needs to honor the situation by making the most of his advantages, saying, “What would be wrong is if I used that for the wrong reasons. I just want to do right by my privileges. And I feel like I have to take advantage of those privileges in order to honor the situation.”
“If I ignore them and rebel against them, which I wanted to do in the past — ‘I don’t want any money, I don’t want any privileges, I just want to be like everybody else’ — that wouldn’t be the right decision,” he added.
Moreover, Sean admits that his family name has helped his music gain recognition that it may not have otherwise. However, he still views himself as a workaholic who has made money by writing music for movies and advertisements.
Meanwhile, he has avoided using a different name for his music releases despite feeling pressured to distinguish himself from his renowned parents because he feels it would be insulting to his father.
Sean also understands that there are criticisms of his lifestyle and acknowledges that some view him as the “spoiled slacker son” of two prominent stars in a separate interview with The Guardian in 2015.
He chooses not to let this bother him, instead concentrating on making the most of his advantages and establishing a successful career on his own terms. While appreciating the freedom to forge his own path, Sean likewise appreciates the financial assistance he receives from The Beatles’ legacy.
As he continues navigating his music career and honoring his family’s rich musical history, Sean Ono Lennon remains unapologetic about relying on the financial stability of his parents’ wealth and the ongoing success of The Beatles’ timeless songs.