It is a portrait of a modest-living man who puts his children through state schools and occasionally jets off to play the world’s most famous pop songs to thousands of fans.

The unprecedented insight into Sir Paul McCartney’s finances revealed in Mr Justice Bennett’s judgment presents a private man, desperate to maintain some normality for his family despite his status as a living legend.

A final wealth tally of £387 million – much lower than the £800 million many believed – reflects the financial chaos and legal wrangling that dogged the Beatles’ final years, culminating in the loss of control over the Lennon/ McCartney catalogue.

Yesterday, Let It Be, Mull of Kintyre and other pop classics have generated £240.9 million. Music sources believe the figure is on the low side, since Yesterday has received 8 million plays on US radio alone and Sir Paul is paid for each “spin”.

Wise investment in property, investments and works of art account for £100 million of the McCartney fortune. But the singer needs to “sweat” his musical assets to reap a greater income than regular royalty payments.

During the Heather Mills marriage, Sir Paul earned £39.6 million, with £27 million arriving from 151 concerts performed in Europe and the US.

Sir Paul acknowledged in his submission that the new albums he recorded for EMI between 2002 and 2006 were “not profitable”. Fans flocked to the stadium concerts to hear “the music created during my time with The Beatles and with Wings”.

Live performance is important to Sir Paul because the Beatles’ Northern Songs publishing company, which houses most of their hits, was sold to Lew Grade’s ATV Music in 1969. Michael Jackson paid $47.5 million for the rights in 1985, outbidding Sir Paul, and formed a partnership with Sony a decade later.

When Sir Paul is not touring he prefers to live at his 1,500 acre Peasmarsh estate in East Sussex or his residence in St John’s Wood, north London. Despite John Lennon’s murder, Sir Paul has sought to make himself accessible to the public, even jumping on the Tube to his central London office. He objected to his wife’s demand for “security” at their properties, which he believed was a sympton of her vendetta against paparazzi.

He told the judge: “Unless on tour, my older children had very little security. They all attended local state schools. It is not healthy for a child to have security 24/7. It sets them apart from their peers and makes them an object of curiosity and ridicule. Such children live in gilded cages.”

There were no bodyguards at Peasmarsh when he lived there with Linda McCartney and their four children. “The general farm employees kept a lookout for anything suspicious,” he said. “Since the summer, I have, to my great relief, been able to revert to the security arrangements which were in force for most of my ‘celebrity’ life before late 2003, when Beatrice was born and when Heather began her campaign to increase security.”

The £24.3 million Sir Paul must pay could immediately be recovered through a deal to place the Beatles catalogue on iTunes, believed to be imminent. With Yoko Ono having approved in principle, the surviving members and families of the “fab Four” could share $200 million when negotiations with Apple are concluded. The iTunes deal could include a Beatles-branded iPod and digital versions of their classic al-bums.After signing a lucrative one-off deal with Star-bucks for his last album, Sir Paul is being courted by major labels and another “greatest hits” tour is expected.

The £400m man

Property £33,979,000 Estate of 1,500 acres in East Sussex, house in London, flat in New York, property on Long Island. Properties in Rye, Somerset, Icklesham, Essex and Merseyside. Extensive Scottish estates. Other properties in New York and US

Business assets (share in Beatles songs etc): £240,900,000 MPL Communications Ltd, MacSolo Ltd, shares in Apple Corps and other related companies

Cash £15,159,000 in bank accounts in Britain and US plus £6,000 in cash

Investments £34,319,000

Works of art £32,269,000 Paintings which he had painted, works of art, musical instruments, jewellery, furniture, house contents, motor vehicles and horses Owed a total of £3,687,000 Tax liabilities £9,615,00

Pension assets: £36,288,000.

Total net assets £387,012,000 Total net income for the next 12 months: £5,357,000

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