If someone is crazy enough to put up $50 million," says George Harrison, "I'd do it if the others would. It would be fun just to see what happens." Of course, after the last half-dozen litigation-ridden years for the Beatles, he cracks: "it'd probably all end up in law suits over whose music to use."

On his own, George has cut five ambitious, though not all critically cheered, LPs. But all five have sold gold, including a pair of three-record sets, All Things Must Pass and his tumultuous 1972 Concert for Bangladesh. Harrison also barnstormed the U.S. with a pickup band and Ringo on drums (he never formed his own group) and is in Los Angeles currently editing a film of the tour.

George's last live performance was put on record—but it is public, not wax. He is a defendant in a plagiarism suit brought against him for his 1971 hit My Sweet Lord. Harrison, according to the plaintiff, borrowed excessively from the 1963 single by the Chiffons He's So Fine, and owes $400,000 in royalties. In his defense, George told the judge, "I think of myself as a jungle musician, because of my lack of formal training. To the best of my knowledge," he noted in an obiter dictum, "none of the Beatles can read music."

Meanwhile, for an ascetic and the most mystical of the Beatles, Harrison, 33, has been living cushily in the material world, with Mexican-born Olivia Arrias. They met in 1974 when she was publicist for his Dark Horse record label. Marriage is not imminent, because George has still not divorced ex-model Patti Boyd, who left him two years ago for his close buddy, blues-rock guitar virtuoso Eric Clapton.

George and Olivia share his $700,000 Hollywood mansion and periodically visit England where they ramble through George's 30-room Gothic retreat in Henley-on-Thames, amidst gargoyles, stained glass and three ornamental lakes. For all his healthy respect for Bill Sargent's brand of free enterprise, Harrison is still a strong supporter of the Hare Krishna group. Says ex-colleague McCartney, fondly: "George is so straight and so ordinary and so real, and he happens to believe in God. That's what's wrong with George to most people's minds."