Simon Cowell net worth and how he became one of the highest-paid celebrities in the world

Simon Cowell is one of the most recognised faces in the music industry, having created shows such as The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent.

Simon Cowell is one of the highest-paid celebrities in the world (Image: Getty)

Simon Cowell is without a doubt one of the most influential faces in the music business. The 64-year-old is known for sitting on the judging panel on talent shows, kicking his career off on Pop Idol in 2001.

The TV star has created some of the most successful shows in the UK, including The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent. The music moguls' brutally honest assessments of contestants has earned him a place in TIME'S '100 Most Influential People' list.

The entrepenuer went on to make his projects into global franchises, therefore it's hardly a surprise that he's worth millions.

Simon returns to screens this weekend, starring on the final episode of Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway as the Geordie duo bid farewell to the ITV programme following 20 series.

Celebrity Net Worth estimates that Simon's net worth is $600 million. The TV personality earns somewhere between $50 million and $100 million a year thanks to his roles in both the TV and music industry.

While plenty of Simon's wealth comes from his TV roles, he also earns a staggering amount from his record label Syco Entertainment. This label has launched the careers of major pop artists, inlcuding One Direction, Little Mix and Camilla Cabello.

Simon Cowell's TV career started on Pop Idol in 2001 (Image: Getty)

Simon's first TV job came on the first series of Pop Idol, more than two decades ago. His peak salary was reportedly £25 million. While Pop Idol concluded in 2003, Simon continued to judge on American Idol ran from 2002 until 2010.

This launched his career in the US and led him to create Syco Entertainment. In 2004, Simon created The X Factor and sat on the panel alongside Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh.

The ITV show was on air for six years before returning in 2014 until 2018. His annual salary only grew as he created America's Got Talent and The X Factor USA.

Simon created The X Factor in 2004 (Image: Getty)

Not only does Simon's wealth come from his career, it's also propelled by property. Simon has owned mansions in both Malibu and Beverly Hills.

He also owns a home in the luxe Holland Park area of London, but spends most of his time in his £15million Wimbledon mansion instead.

In 2020, he flogged his Beverly Hills mansion for a whopping $25million.

Simon spends most of his time in his Wimbledon home (Image: Getty)

If people believe Simon only spends his money on himself, they are wrong. The influential star is a known supporter of animal rights and donated money to Manchester Dogs’ Home after a fire broke out in 2014.

He produced the single Everybody Hurts, which raised money for the victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Three years later, the dad-of-one made a donation of $150,000 to support the Israeli Defense Forces.

Simon also produced Bridge Over Troubled Water, featuring a number of famous artists, to raise money for the victims of the Grenfell Tower Fire in London in 2017.

In 2020, the businessman was listed on Forbes 2020's World's Highest-Paid Celebrities list, where he placed at number 45 with $51million

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