We were first introduced to Simon Cowell as the snarky, brutally honest judge on American Idol, but he has done a lot more than just that — and all of his successes reeled him in quite a huge fortune. Keep scrolling to find out how much money Simon has and how he makes his impressive income! 

What Is Simon Cowell’s Net Worth?

The TV personality and judge on America’s Got Talent has a stunning net worth of about $600 million. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Simon brings in a salary of about $95 million, clearly showing that his no-nonsense attitude in show business has worked.

How Did Simon Cowell’s Career Start?

When Simon was younger, he worked in the mailroom at EMI Music Publishing, where his father, Eric, was an executive. After spending a few years there, the entrepreneur left EMI and formed his own label, E&S Music, in the early 1980s. The company went under in 1989 and Simon was forced to sell his business. Although it was a dark time in the record executive’s life, Simon later went on to start another label called S-Records.

Simon Cowell and his son Eric Cowell
 See Simon Cowell's Most Adorable Moments With Son Eric

By working with actors Robson Green and Jerome Flynn, who signed with him and recorded the hit song “Unchained Melody,” Simon made his first million by age 40.

Simon Cowell Found Success Judging Talent Competitions

The dad of one didn’t reach superstardom until he became a judge on American Idol in 2002. After he left the show in 2010, Simon resided on the judge’s panel on numerous reality shows, including The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, America’s Got Talent, and America’s Got Talent: All-Stars.

American Idol - 2002
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The doting dad also produced various programs including American Inventor and Celebrity Duets. Aside from having huge success in the TV world, Simon, of course, was first and foremost all about music. The A-lister signed notable bands over the years — which added to his fortune. Music acts like Five, Westlife, One Direction and Fifth Harmony have all reached great heights under his watchful eye.

Simon Cowell transformation
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The famous TV star has hundreds of millions of dollars to his name, so it’s clear his fortune won’t be winding down anytime soon. In fact, Simon already has someone in mind who will be the perfect person to take over his incredible empire: his son, Eric.

“He’s in training … I’m getting him ready to do my job,” Simon told Lizzie Cundy on the UK morning show This Morning.

Simon revealed in November 2021 that he was hoping to revive the U.K.s The X Factor after it was cancelled by Britain’s ITV in 2020 following sinking ratings. “This year was the first year since we took it off the air, where I realized how much I’d really, really missed it,” he told OK!, adding, “And I think the public do as well. It was – and is – a brilliant show. And there’s no question it will return.”

Simon created the series, which began airing in the U.K. in 2004. There are still no plans for a show revival as of publication.