Simon Cowell went from an unknown record company worker to one of the most influential people in show business. The British producer and TV star has created a huge empire for himself and has been the star judge on several talent shows.
The talent shows brought Simon a different kind of audience, and his unique, often brutally honest approach has proven rather popular.
Maybe that’s one of the reasons why he’s made so much money, and we’re talking a lot of money. In fact, Simon Cowell’s been paid millions and millions of dollars over the years, with new reports highlighting just how much he made per season of American Idol.
Simon Cowell got his own job in music after he dropped out of school. His father was able to hire him as an assistant at record label EMI, where his responsibilities were to find new talent and develop artists.
Simon Cowell – rise to fame
As he moved up the ladder at EMI, he went on to start two music labels of his own, though these didn’t achieve any level of success.
He moved back home to live with his parents; something that could’ve broken anyone. For Simon Cowell, though, it was a “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.
