Ringo Starr’s copy of The Beatles’ White Album is the most expensive record ever sold

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Ringo Starr’s copy of The Beatles’ White Album is the most expensive record ever sold
Drummer's vinyl sold for more than double the previous record holder's price
BY ALEX GALBRAITH
SEPTEMBER 01, 2016



As vinyl collecting continues to grow, records surrounding vinyl sales keep right on falling. We now have a new record for the most expensive LP ever sold, and it has more than doubled the price fetched by the previous record holder.

The new most expensivest record (we need a 2 Chainz listening party ASAP) is Ringo Starr’s copy of The White Album. Copy number 0000001 of The Beatles’ classic album sold for a whopping $790,000 last year to a private bidder. Guinness World Records just confirmed that the sale makes this particular piece of vinyl the most expensive record ever sold at auction.


The previous record-holder was an acetate of Elvis Presley’s first recording, a single that had “My Happiness” on Side A and “That’s When Your Heartache Begins” on the reverse. Jack White (who else?) dropped a cool $300,000 on the collectible back in 2015.

Pharmadouche Martin Shrkeli’s $2 million purchase of Wu-Tang’s Once Upon a Time in Shaolin was not considered by Guinness because the album was never before sold commercially.

According to Ringo, all the proceeds from the sale went to his Lotus Foundation, a charity established with the goal of “advancing social welfare” across numerous causes like cancer research and substance abuse programs.



Ringo Starr's personal copy of 'The White Album' sold for $790,000 at auction Credit: Vincent Sandoval/WireImage