Simon Cowell rose from being an unknown employee of a record label to becoming one of the most important figures in entertainment. The British producer and television personality has built a sizable business for himself and served as the head judge on numerous talent competitions.
Simon’s distinctive, frequently brutally honest style has proven to be very well-liked. The talent shows introduced him to a new type of audience.
We’re talking about a lot of money, so perhaps that’s one of the reasons he’s made so much. In actuality, Simon Cowell has received numerous millions of dollars over the years, with recent reports detailing the exact amount of money he earned for each season of American Idol.
After leaving school, Simon Cowell obtained his own position in the music industry. His father was successful in getting him a job as an assistant at the record company EMI, where his duties included discovering fresh talent and nurturing musicians.
He started two music labels of his own as he rose through the ranks at EMI, although these were never particularly successful.
He returned home to live with his parents, which was a decision that might have broken anyone. But for Simon Cowell, it was “relief.”
“Everything went – my house, my Porsche, all the things I thought were important,” he explained. “I had nice food every night at home. I was quite happy, really.”
Cowell started over and founded S Records Label, to which he signed boybands like 5ive and Westlife. He also signed artist Jerome, who recorded the Righteous Brothers’ hit Unchained Melody in 1995. It turned out to be a top-selling single.
However, it was through talent shows that Simon himself would rise to fame.
“My talent is for creating things the public will like,” he explained. “I’m interested only in making money, for myself, and the people I work for. I mean, that’s absolutely the only criterion I attach.”
Talent show success
In 2001, the world of entertainment would witness the birth of a new entity. Together with Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller, Simon Cowell created the program Pop Idol, on which he starred as a judge. The show became a smash-hit among the viewers, and Simon became a mega-celebrity overnight.
His tight T-shirt and now classic catchphrase, “I don’t mean to be rude but,” became a trademark. Just one year later, Fox picked up the show. Now it was headed for the US, and Simon had all of a sudden become a celebrity across the Atlantic.
The first season finale – which Kelly Clarkson won – attracted more than 26 million viewers, and Simon quickly understood that there was a huge amount of money to be made here.
He made the decision to make unique records with an American Idol concept while Simon Fuller owned, ran, and managed the competition.
Simon Cowell’s estimated wealth
In only a few years, Simon went from being penniless to being a multi-millionaire. He made a ton of money from the talent competitions, such as X Factor and America’s Got Talent, along with other record labels, and in 2006, he signed a new contract.
Cowell made a lot of money during the additional five years he served as a judge on American Idol.
Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson were the three judges when American Idol premiered. It started out as an interesting project, but it quickly grew to be one of the most popular shows on television, changing many people’s lives and giving the audience world class artists.
Two of the most notable winners over the years have been Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson – in the future, many more will surely come.
For a total of nine seasons, Simon remained a cast member. Additionally, he formed the production businesses Syco TV, Syco Film, and Syco Music, as well as The X Factor for the US and the UK.
In both the US and the UK, Cowell served as a judge on The X Factor. He served as executive producer and judge on both America’s Got Talent and Britain’s Got Talent at the same time.
