Gary Glitter, born Paul Francis Gadd on May 8, 1944, was once one of Britain’s biggest rock stars in the 1970s with an estimated net worth of $8 million according to Celebrity Net Worth. However, his financial situation has become far more complex following multiple convictions for serious sexual offenses against children, which have resulted in imprisonment, bankruptcy proceedings, and the loss of much of his wealth to court-ordered damages.
Current Financial Status: Bankruptcy and Court Judgments
As of 2025, Gary Glitter’s financial situation is defined by legal judgments and bankruptcy proceedings rather than wealth accumulation.
Bankruptcy Declaration (2025)
In April 2025, the 81-year-old convicted sex offender was declared bankrupt after failing to pay court-ordered damages of £508,800 (approximately $640,000) to a woman he abused when she was 12 years old between 1975 and 1980. The damages included £381,000 in lost earnings, £7,800 for future therapy and treatment, and additional compensation for the lifelong harm caused by his abuse.
Richard Scorer, head of abuse law at Slater and Gordon, which represents the victim, confirmed that Gadd had been made bankrupt and stated he “refused to co-operate and continues to treat his victims with contempt.” The bankruptcy allows a trustee to oversee his assets and facilitate repayment to his victims.
Ongoing Royalty Income Despite Bankruptcy
Despite his bankruptcy status, recent documents filed with Companies House reveal that companies established by Gadd and now operated by associates continue generating income. According to reports from October 2025, one such enterprise reported assets exceeding £155,000 for 2024, up from £125,626 the previous year—an increase of nearly £30,000.
This ongoing income stream, primarily from music royalties, has enabled him to maintain certain assets including reportedly settling the mortgage on a flat located on Baker Street in London. However, these assets should now be subject to oversight by bankruptcy trustees to satisfy the court-ordered damages to his victims.
Peak Wealth and Career Earnings
Before his criminal convictions destroyed his career and reputation, Gary Glitter accumulated significant wealth during his heyday in the 1970s and through ongoing royalties in subsequent decades.
1970s Success and Initial Wealth
Glitter achieved massive commercial success in the 1970s under his stage name (previously performing as Paul Raven in the 1960s). His major hits included “Rock and Roll (Parts 1 and 2)” which became an international sensation, “I Love You Love Me Love” (UK #1), “I’m the Leader of the Gang (I Am)” (UK #1), “Hello, Hello, I’m Back Again”, and “Do You Wanna Touch Me”.
He sold an estimated 18-20 million records worldwide and had 26 hit singles that spent a total of 180 weeks in the UK Singles Chart, with 12 reaching the top 10 and three charting at number one. His album “Touch Me” (1973) peaked at #2 on the UK Albums Chart and became his best-selling album.
During his most successful years in the mid-1970s, Glitter earned an estimated £800,000 annually (equivalent to approximately $3-4 million in today’s money), making him one of Britain’s highest-paid entertainers.
Lifestyle at His Peak
At the height of his fame, Glitter lived extravagantly, owning thirty glitter suits and fifty pairs of his trademark silver platform boots, a Rolls-Royce, and a large house in Hampshire.
However, as his career declined in the late 1970s, financial troubles emerged. The bank foreclosed on his Hampshire house, and the Inland Revenue (UK tax authority) pursued him for unpaid taxes, forcing him to sell assets to cover debts.
Catalog Sales and Rights
Glitter sold portions of his back catalogue in the 1990s for figures reported to be up to £5 million. This included selling his share of rights to “Rock and Roll, Part 2” to publishing company Snapper Music in 1997, according to Los Angeles Times reporting.
Despite these sales, he continued earning royalties through the Performing Rights Society, reportedly receiving £50,000 annually at various points, though this figure has fluctuated over the decades.
“Rock and Roll, Part 2”: The Controversial Cash Cow
Glitter’s most financially significant song has been “Rock and Roll, Part 2,” which became a ubiquitous sports anthem in North America despite his criminal convictions.
Sports Anthem Royalties
The song, co-written with producer Mike Leander, became enormously popular at sporting events, particularly in the NHL and NFL, where it was played during goal celebrations and touchdowns with fans chanting “Hey!” along with the chorus.
According to a 2014 Billboard report, the song was earning an estimated $250,000 per year in royalties, split between Glitter and Leander’s estate. The NFL alone reportedly paid Glitter approximately £100,000 ($130,000) annually for its widespread use.
Controversy and Discontinued Use
Following increased public awareness of Glitter’s criminal convictions, many sports teams discontinued using the song. However, it remained in use at some venues and events, generating ongoing controversy about whether a convicted child sex offender should profit from his music.
Film and Media Usage
The song’s use in the 2019 film “Joker” sparked significant controversy. The song appeared prominently in a scene where Joaquin Phoenix’s character dances down a long staircase. Reports varied about whether Glitter would profit:
- Some sources claimed he would receive a lump sum and royalties
- The Los Angeles Times reported that Glitter does not receive payment because he sold the rights in 1997 to Snapper Music
- Universal Music Publishing Group now owns the US rights to the song
A Snapper Music representative stated: “Gary Glitter does not get paid… We’ve had no contact with him.”
Other Sampling and Covers
Glitter has also earned royalties from artists who sampled or covered his work. Most notably, the band Oasis sampled “Hello, Hello, I’m Back Again” in their song “Hello.” News reports from 2013 stated Glitter may have earned £1,000,000 total from this sampling, including £300,000 per year in royalties and an estimated £200,000 settlement after Glitter sued Oasis for copyright infringement in 1999.
Other artists and productions that used his music include Jive Bunny’s medleys, film soundtracks for “The Full Monty” and “Meet the Fockers”, and various cover versions by other artists.
Business Ventures and Failed Enterprises
Beyond music, Glitter attempted various business ventures with limited success.
Glitter’s Snack Bar
In 1991, Glitter opened a restaurant in London’s West End called “Glitter’s Snack Bar,” using the slogan “Leader of the Snack” (a play on his hit “Leader of the Gang”). The restaurant closed within a few years due to poor performance.
Record Labels
Glitter launched his own record label in the early 1990s called Attitude Records after losing his deal with Virgin Records. Attitude was later merged into Machmain Ltd, a music company owned by Glitter. The financial success of these ventures remains unclear, though they did not generate significant wealth.
Property Investments
Glitter has owned various properties over the decades including the Hampshire house that was foreclosed in the late 1970s, a flat on Baker Street in London that he reportedly rents out (and whose mortgage was recently paid off according to 2025 reports), a £45,000 yacht called “Voyageur” purchased in 2000 after his release from his first prison sentence, and a red Mercedes 500SEC.
Criminal Convictions and Their Financial Impact
Glitter’s criminal history has devastated both his career and finances, transforming him from a wealthy entertainer to a bankrupt convicted sex offender.
Timeline of Convictions
1997-1999: Arrested after child pornography was discovered on his laptop during repairs. Sentenced to four months in prison in 1999.
2003-2006: After fleeing to various countries, he was arrested in Vietnam and convicted of child sexual abuse in 2006, receiving a three-year prison sentence.
2015: Convicted in the UK of one count of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault, and one count of engaging in sexual acts with a girl under 13. Sentenced to 16 years in prison.
2023-Present: Released in February 2023 after serving half his sentence, but returned to prison six weeks later for breaching licence conditions by allegedly viewing images of children on a smartphone while in a bail hostel.
Financial Consequences
These convictions have resulted in massive legal fees and costs spanning decades of criminal proceedings, loss of legitimate earning opportunities as broadcasters and venues stopped playing his music, court-ordered compensation to victims totaling hundreds of thousands of pounds, and bankruptcy proceedings when he failed to pay damages.
The 2024 court judgment ordering him to pay £508,800 to one victim represents a significant portion of whatever remaining wealth he possessed, and his refusal or inability to pay led directly to his 2025 bankruptcy declaration.
Ethical Considerations Around His Music
Glitter’s case raises difficult ethical questions about separating art from artist and whether convicted criminals should profit from their creative work.
Arguments for Blocking His Royalties
Many argue that a convicted child sex offender should not profit from his music, that victims should receive any royalties generated by his catalog, and that continued use of his music normalizes or minimizes his horrific crimes.
Various advocacy groups have called for legislation preventing convicted criminals from profiting from their creative works, similar to “Son of Sam” laws in the United States that prevent criminals from profiting from their crimes through books or media deals.
Current Legal Reality
Under UK law, Glitter retains copyright ownership of his music (except where he’s sold specific rights), and UK law does not automatically strip criminals of intellectual property rights. However, the bankruptcy proceedings now place his assets under trustee control, theoretically allowing victims to collect from future royalties.
The complex web of rights ownership, with various songs having been sold to publishers or split among co-writers, makes completely blocking his income difficult from a legal standpoint.
Estimated Current Net Worth
Given his bankruptcy status and court judgments, estimating Glitter’s actual net worth is complicated:
Celebrity Net Worth’s $8 million estimate appears to be outdated and doesn’t account for his 2025 bankruptcy. This figure likely represents his peak estimated wealth or assets before court judgments.
Actual liquid net worth is likely negative or near zero given his bankruptcy status and unpaid court judgments of over £500,000.
Asset holdings may include the Baker Street flat (estimated value £200,000-400,000), music rights he hasn’t sold (value uncertain, possibly £500,000-2,000,000 depending on rights retained), and company assets reported at £155,000.
Total potential assets before bankruptcy obligations might range from £1-3 million, but with over £500,000 in court judgments and bankruptcy proceedings, his actual net worth available to him personally is essentially zero or negative.
Future Financial Outlook
At 81 years old and imprisoned for serious sexual offenses, Glitter’s financial future is grim. His ongoing royalty income, while providing some cash flow, should now be directed to his victims through the bankruptcy process. He faces additional years in prison after his 2023 parole violation, and even if eventually released, he would be an elderly man with no legitimate earning prospects beyond residual royalties.
The bankruptcy trustee should theoretically ensure that ongoing royalties go toward satisfying the court judgment to his victim rather than enriching Glitter personally. However, the complex structure of music rights and international royalty streams may complicate full collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Gary Glitter’s net worth?
Gary Glitter was declared bankrupt in 2025 after failing to pay £508,800 in court-ordered damages to a victim. While Celebrity Net Worth previously estimated his wealth at $8 million, his actual net worth is now effectively zero or negative after accounting for unpaid court judgments.
Does Gary Glitter still earn royalties?
Yes, Glitter continues earning royalties from his music catalog, with companies associated with him reporting assets of £155,000 in 2024. However, these funds should now be subject to bankruptcy trustee oversight to satisfy court judgments.
How much did “Rock and Roll, Part 2” earn?
The song reportedly earned approximately $250,000 annually at its peak, split between Glitter and his co-writer. However, reports suggest he sold his rights to the song in 1997, though this is disputed.
Why was Gary Glitter declared bankrupt?
He was declared bankrupt in April 2025 after refusing to pay £508,800 in court-ordered damages to a woman he sexually abused when she was 12 years old.
What crimes was Gary Glitter convicted of?
Glitter has been convicted of downloading child pornography (1999), child sexual abuse in Vietnam (2006), and in the UK: attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault, and engaging in sexual acts with a child under 13 (2015).
Is Gary Glitter still in prison?
Yes, as of October 2025, Glitter is imprisoned after being returned to custody in 2023 for breaching his licence conditions by allegedly viewing images of children.
How old is Gary Glitter?
Gary Glitter (Paul Francis Gadd) was born May 8, 1944, making him 81 years old as of October 2025.
Given the serious nature of Gary Glitter’s crimes and the devastating impact on his victims, it’s important to note that any discussion of his wealth must be viewed through the lens of justice for survivors. His bankruptcy and court-ordered payments represent some measure of accountability, though no financial penalty can undo the harm he caused. The ongoing debate about whether convicted offenders should profit from their creative works continues, with Glitter’s case serving as one of the most prominent examples of this ethical dilemma.
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