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

[IndelibleVoice]

After promising such a grotesquely huge amount of money--if ad revenue suddenly takes a nose dive--guess FOX will need a bailout...

[JScott]

Interesting t hat there's ALWAYS money enough for this and the Bernie Madoffs but not enough for states to keep from going bankrupt..­....what does that say about civil society...­...not particularly positive.




BTW I don't watch AI.

[VSamuels]

Well, it would at least be rather interesting to see how an agent asks for roughly 12 US Million dollars a month for Cowell, when there is no guarantee about the level of contestants who will come out to perform, Or does this amount of money indicate that the whole thing is well rehearsed and rigged?

Hell, I'm glad for him if he can get someone to pay him this amount, but it does seem odd that they would do so without expressly knowing how they are going to get a solid return on the 144 US Million dollars. When we get to the heart of this question, we will have our answer whether or not this is just a smoke screen for a closely guarded scam.

Using Michael Jackson as an example, neither de Pase, Gordy or Joe Jackson truly realize how great of an entertainer he would become, even when they knew he had spectacular talent. Which makes one wonder why pay so much money on a talent screener, when even he is probably wrong about folks more than he is correct?

[Merckx]

It may seem too high, but if he leaves, the show is dead.
His abrasive, but accurate assessment of contestants is what makes 30 million per week watch.
It is still, by far the #1 show on TV.

[Chieflord]

They should probably pay him $144 million a month. Wonder where all that money comes from? Of course it is from the same stupid poor people who watch the show. The rich only works for the show. This guy is the best 15 mins of fame pitchman to the poor.

[Ohioan730]

I haven't watched Idol in years and I suspect that if they let Simon go it would be the last season of that show. It pretty much centers around his often dissenting opinion.

[TheBlackSheep]

ThinkIndie doesn't pay me that much, WTF?!? I need to renegotiate!

[chrish]

That's just disgusting.

[quantumspin]

So the key is to be incredibly daft, arrogant, and mean spirited towards the audience and contestants, ok then---adjusting my style immediately!!

[IndelibleVoice]

Yeah, apparently it works in all professions. Be sure to call your next customer a no-talent d.ouc.he.bag! LOL

[Coltrane1234]

Yeah that's reasonable.

[firelord5000]

To be fair, he is the show. Only reason its been top for last 8 years is cause of him, and their profits are far higher then the 144mi salary, so makes sense. Its basically what NBC tried with Seinfeld, unfortunately he didn't take the bait since he was close to a billionaire by that time.

[OMG1109]

Hmmm he will make more than Hannity,GREAT job Simon!!

[BritishAmerican]

I don't understand how any one person deserves this ridiculous amount of money to judge singers. It's not a talent to just sit there and slag off people. When so many are out of work and suffering, this is just an insult. I won't be watching American Idol. It bores me to death.

[fairdebate]

He is only offered what he is worth ....If someone is willing to pay 144 million..h­e must think he can make 250 million by having him...or the offer wouldn't happen...T­his is how sports work...If no one went to football games(their salaries would be allot smaller)..­.If no one went to see movies..Ho­llywood Stars wouldn't get 25 million per film...Its Capitalism­..Its beautiful.­.It works for us normal peoples also...If we invent something everyone wants..we get rich...If we open the best restaurant­..we get the best attendance­...If we work harder and prove to be the best asset to our boss...we get the most money(unless your in a Union)...T­his is the stuff that has built this great country...­.the down side of Capitalism­...If you do nothing ..you get nothing..b­ut...The rest of the population (chasing their dreams)..e­nables a person on Welfare to have a Cell Phone,Color TV,and a car....so I guess EVERYONE benefits

[kappa08]

good for him.....he­y don't hate. This is what it costs for American culture brought to you by a Brit...
You could always just turn it off and build something.­...hahahah­ahahahahah­ahahahahah­ahahhahaha

[Madison99]

Wow, hard to believe he can rake in so much for being so...well.­...mean

[Changeling]

They may as well give it to him since without him the show tanks. Besides, it's only got a few years left to it, he may as well grab what money he can before the train stops.