Simon Cowell Offered $144 Million/Year To Stay On ‘Idol’

By Andrew Gauthier 

The New York Post reports on the eye-popping figures from Simon Cowell’s contract negotiations with Fox…
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. Fox declined yesterday to comment about the salary negotiations.

While $36 million may seem like a lot of money for five months worth of snarky comments and eye-rolls, it’s only a fraction of the estimated $900 million that “Idol” rakes in a year. As the lynchpin of the show — without him there would be no one to hate and no dramatic tension with Paula Abdul — Cowell believes he’s due for a raise. More…

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