How Allen Klein Cost The Beatles Their Publishing – And Started The Breakup

When Allen Klein became The Beatles’ manager in 1969, his first move was to renegotiate their royalty rate with EMI – a genuine win. But his real test came with Northern Songs, the company that owned nearly all Lennon–McCartney compositions. The other major shareholder, Lew Grade’s ATV, made a takeover bid. Rather than secure a friendly buyer who would keep the catalog with the band, Klein initially tried to block the deal with lawsuits, then gave in.

The result: ATV got Northern Songs. Paul McCartney was furious – he’d wanted to buy the company himself with an offer that matched ATV’s. Klein convinced John and George to reject Paul’s plan. After the sale, Lennon and McCartney technically became employees of their own songs. The loss of the publishing was a major reason McCartney sued to dissolve the partnership in 1970, naming Klein as a key factor. The catalog wouldn’t return to Beatle control until Michael Jackson bought ATV in 1985 – and even then,