John Lennon and Yoko Ono met Allen Klein for dinner at the Dorchester Hotel in London on 26 January 1969.
Lennon had mentioned in interviews The Beatles’ concerns about the rate at which Apple Corps was losing money. Klein was an American music industry business manager who had been wanting a piece of The Beatles’ empire since 1964.
Klein had approached Lennon at the filming of The Rolling Stones’ Rock And Roll Circus in December 1968. Although Mick Jagger had warned Lennon that Klein’s own dealings with the Stones had been less than perfect, Lennon saw Klein as a kindred spirit.
Klein came prepared, revealing in-depth knowledge not only of The Beatles’ business issues, but also their music and songwriting. At the end of the meeting, at around 3am, Klein wrote a series of documents informing EMI, Northern Songs, and Apple Corps, that he would now be representing Lennon.
Lennon signed the documents, and the following day told The Beatles that Klein was now representing him.