Simon Cowell's 'Idol' Salary Could Be $144 Million A Year: Report

New York Post:

EARLY salary figures from Simon Cowell's "American Idol" contract negotiations are leaking out and they're eye-popping.

Cowell, who reportedly made $36 million last year for judging the hit competition show, has been offered three or four times that amount -- between $100 million and $144 million per year -- by co-producers Fox and 19 Entertainment to stick with "Idol" when his contract expires next May, according to The Guardian, a London newpaper.

Read the whole story: New York Post

Comments

[KCFreedom]

This is complete crap.

An indicator of what's wrong with this country.

By the way, where will that money come from? Will they have to print extra money at the Fed Reserve just to cover the dollar supply for this a-hole's salary?

[Clownbaby]

Nope. Unlike an out of control gov't, private companies can't print money out of thin air. Rest assured, we'll print our way to public health care and all of the rest of the entitlement programs that Progressives want, not to mention the empire that the Neo-Conservatives have assembled. Hyperinflation, dead ahead!

[skatscan]

"Unlike an out of control gov't, private companies can't print money out of thin air."

No, they just get it from us in tax breaks and bail outs.

[glockman]

Are you joking? Fox will make ten times that amount, or more, from ad and album revenue alone because there are tens of millions of morons who watch that awful show.

[TotalRecall9]

If true, absolutely absurd! Just one more reason not to watch that garbage.

[brandnewstuff]

Bucocky giving back the truth!

[hackerblaster]

damn, i'll do it for 50 million

[MIMom]

I'd do it for $50K.

[skatscan]

Now you see, Why can't the rich compete to see how low they can go in doing a job anyone can do?

Janitorial contractors do it all the time.

[OverIt]

This sounds bogus. But just the fact that the number is being floated makes me ask what kind of world are we when a man whose claim to fame is hurling clever insults at scared performers is deemed more valuable then scientists on the verge of cancer breakthroughs.

[KCFreedom]

Not to mention teachers, firemen, police, social workers, etc.

[OverIt]

Well, although these are wonderful professions where people are GROSSLY UNDERPAID, because of their sheer number I wouldn't put them in the megamillion category.

But the kind of uniquely brilliant minds that are making scientific breakthroughs and saving lives on a grand scale should merit at least the same recognition as a surly Brit dishing out one-liners on a talent show.

[opine2u]

To think Michael Jackson would have to do 50 Concerts within an 8 month period of time, moonwalking and gyrating, singing his heart out, and not missing a cue, to earn 2/3rds of the amount they wish to pay Simon Cowell, a man who is so full of himself, he makes narcism a reality of his every day, yet puts out no other sweat than the drip that may arise from an overworked, uplifted brow. Where's his talent? He needs three buzzers.

[l3randon]

This is one of the most incoherent rants I've ever seen.

[Lorifromky]

Here is the problem with capitalism that few people talk about. The system pays obscene amounts of money to people who contribute fluff to the economy. I have nothing against American Idol or Simon (how could I, I have not seen one complete episode of this show), but they are unnecessary to the fabric of our society. In the meantime nurses, teachers, police officers, sanitation workers, are getting laid off or taking pay cuts. I have no problem with taxing Simon at a higher rate to help support the people who work the jobs that matter.

[Clownbaby]

Simon Cowell is probably unnecessary in a lot of ways. But he makes profits for FOX, which nurses, teachers, etc. can invest in if they like. When he does well, the ratings go up and the show makes a lot of money. When FOX makes a lot of money, FOX stock goes up and the shareholders make money.

Simply taking people's money is not the answer. When people have to pay more taxes, they are less able to give to charity, or invest in other companies that can create jobs. People can benefit from other individual's success in a lot of ways, but shortsightedness would lead us to think that they only way we can benefit is if we redistribute wealth.

[jchurch]

The vast majority of Americans do not and never will invest in Fox! The only way out of this economic crisis is to tax those who benefitted from pillaging the coffers... the rich.

[truthyguy]

Maybe you can't fool all the people all the time - but the only thing you really need do to get rich is fool some people with money just once.

[blueskybigstar]

This goes to show that since we left the gold standard there is something seriously wrong with our economy. Without the control of having something of a limited quantity with which to measure currency value, more and more money is allowed to flow into fewer pockets. We need controls such as no person be paid over 150 times the lowest paid employee in a corporation. If an exec wants a raise, he has to give a raise to everybody because he did not do it alone. We also need to tax the rich at levels approaching Eisenhower's tax rate. Without these controls we will have an unstable economy.

[l3randon]

Finally, a reasonable solution. Yes, the government can mandate things like this for corporations because corporations are artificially-created entities that artificially reduce their owners' liabilities. The problem is that corporations are too widespread, rich and powerful for most of the government to have the stones to fairly regulate them. The government prefers to distract us by attacking rich individuals instead. Property rights for individuals should be absolute, but with those rights come responsibilities for your own or your company's actions. If you want to claim property rights to justify your salary, profits, contracts, whatever, you have to accept the inherent risks as well. If you want artificial protection you have to submit to artificial regulation. Granted this would not reduce Mr. Cowell's pay unless someone can prove that he is responsible for reducing Americans' average intelligence and put a justifiable number on the value of that intelligence.

[l3randon]

I do disagree with the "tax the hell out of the rich" blanket statement, and believe that that should also apply only to artificial entities. Natural individuals are sovereign, and they should not be punished for being financially successful no matter how big a jealous frenzy we can work the mob into.

[Mojo09]

The man you'd love to hate.. but hate is big business these days. I hope the entertainment world gets out of its stupor soon and relegates these mean characters to the dustbin where they belong

[DeepsyRascal]

An obscene amount of money for providing more trash TV. Why watch this stuff?

[stanschurman]

Someone should offer him that much to stay on "idle".

[Sandmanj]

I wouldn't pay this clown $14 to stay anywhere but away.

[Clownbaby]

lol

[Orphie]

Oooooooh! Good for what's-his-name. I never miss American Idol! I've never seen it - - - and I never miss it.

[Clownbaby]

So where's the outrage about Simon's earnings? Isn't he evil for making this much money? Or is that sort of fury simply reserved for CEO's across the board?

[huffponewbie]

Last I heard Idol was not taking bailout-money.

[Clownbaby]

Even non-TARP CEO's (health insurance CEO's, for example) take a lot of flack from Progressives that frequent this site. Because apparently they do nothing but sit back and rake in the cash. They have no talent, just this mysterious ability to get paid millions of dollars. That's the drum beat you hear so often, I was just wondering if Simon fit into this category for Progressives as well.