Earlier this week on "Larry King Live," Simon Cowell stated that he had no qualms about leaving "American Idol" after this season and would not miss the show. Well, no wonder. It's pretty easy to quit your day job when you're worth 165 million pounds (approximately $300 million)!
According to Britain's Sunday Times, which just published a "Rich List" of the U.K.'s top 20 music millionaires, Simon has in fact enjoyed a $61.5 million, or 38 percent, pay raise of sorts over the past year. This is mainly due to Susan Boyle, the runner-up on one of his other massive reality-show ventures, "Britain's Got Talent," who is signed to Simon's Syco Music record label. SuBo's debut album, I Dreamed A Dream, was 2009's worldwide biggest sales phenomenon, selling more than 10 million units to date since its November release.
Simon still isn't Britain's richest music mogul--among those who earn even more are former "American Idol" mentor and theater impresario Andrew Lloyd-Webber, recent "Idol Gives Back" performer Elton John, the Rolling Stones' Mick 'n' Keef, Paul McCartney, Sting, and, most interestingly, "Idol" honcho Simon Fuller. But thanks to SuBo, Cowell has moved up to 11th place on the British millionaires list, even advancing ahead of the Simon Fuller-managed Beckhams, David and Victoria.I can only imagine that during the interim between his departure from "Idol" and the U.S. launch of his "X Factor" show, Simon will be sitting on a giant pile of British sterling and Susan Boyle CDs, on some private island, eating peeled grapes and cackling maniacally over his good fortune. Either that, or he'll be scrupulously poring over the details of his prenup with future bride Mezhgan Hussainy. But missing his old "American Idol" gig? Um, probably not.
Below is the Sunday Times' full "Rich List":
1. Edgar Bronfman & family (1.64 billion pounds)
2. Clive Calder (1.3 billion pounds)
3. Andrew Lloyd-Webber (700 million pounds)
4. Cameron Mackintosh (635 million pounds)
5. Paul McCartney (475 million pounds)
6. Simon Fuller (350 million pounds)
7. Mick Jagger (190 million pounds)
8. Elton John (185 million pounds)
9. Sting (180 million pounds)
10. Keith Richards (175 million pounds)
11. Simon Cowell (165 million pounds)
12. Olivia & Dhani Harrison (160 million pounds)
13. Jamie Palumbo (150 million pounds)
14. David & Victoria Beckham (145 million pounds)
15. Tim Rice (140 million pounds)
16. Ringo Starr (140 million pounds)
17. Tom Jones (135 million pounds)
18. Eric Clapton (125 million pounds)
19. Roger Ames (120 million pounds)
20. Barry & Robin Gibb (110 million pounds)
