John Lennon's scathing letter to Paul McCartney sold for $70,000 at auction

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The nasty letter John Lennon wrote to Paul McCartney in the 70s has been auctioned off after 17 days of bidding...and the winner has coughed up cash for the Beatles drama.

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Dylan Kosinski, a representative for Gottahaverockandroll Auction House, told TMZ...that Lennon's letter sold on Saturday for a total of $70,000 -- a winning bid of $56,000, plus premium buyer's fee of $14,000 -- the fee for participating in the auction.

As we reported, John sent a letter to Paul a few days after an interview criticizing him and the Beatles appeared in a November 1971 issue of British music magazine Melody Maker, and John's response was mostly scathing... but also thoughtful and pleading.

TMZ.com

John's frustration with Paul is clear from the start...telling Paul he's ungrateful for all the money he gets from the Beatles.

As the 3-page letter continues, John takes issue with Paul's rejection of his song "Imagine" and berates Paul for allegedly threatening to "get us at all costs" -- "us" referring to the rest of the Beatles.