Simon Cowell's Success Story

Judge of American Idol and the X Factor

Have you ever thought of making millions by just criticizing other people? Well, Simon Cowell did and today is one of the highest paid men in the Television, best known for his appearances in reality shows, such as Pop Idol and the American Idol. Although sometimes people think his criticisms are quite controversial, he has climbed to the top and has definitely proved himself and his skills.

Simon is originally from Britain, where his show The X Factor has won the BAFTA award. Produced through his company SYCO, the show has topped the UK charts. He still stars in it apart from being its executive producer. Simon Cowell basically rose to fame by his sharp criticism of the contestants in the shows, who are aspiring to become singers. He has also worked on the shows America’s Got Talent and its British counterpart, Britain’s Got Talent, as executive producer.

In the year 2004, he was chosen as one of the 25 Most Eligible Bachelors by People’s magazine. In 2009, Hollywood Reporter named Simon number one among the Top 50 Most Powerful in Reality TV.

But when is actually his meteoric career rooted? He made his first steps in the music industry, where up to this date he has over 20 years of experience. During the last fifteen years, he has been responsible for the sale of over 150 million albums. During this period he has also produced more than a hundred number one records. Today Simon works as an executive for Sony Records - one of the largest recorded music companies in the world.

An interesting fact is that due to his bad behavior Simon Cowell was thrown out of several schools, when he was only 17. He never liked the stuff taught in school and found the discipline difficult to undergo. His father who was an executive at EMI records managed to get him works there in the mailroom. After he rose up the music industry ladder, he launched out on his own in the name of Fanfare Records. He produced some smash hits like ToyBoy and So Macho with Sinitta, his then-girlfriend. He then released the Power Rangers theme single, which was became another hit. When he tried to launch Spice Girls, he failed.

That forced him to close down Fanfare and move back in with his parents. He then joined BMG as an artist & repertoire consultant. By the time he reached age 30, Simon was a big shot at the company. He then started his own label S Records through which he signed up top talent like Westlife and 5ive.

He was the judge on Pop Idol, a British reality show, where his blunt and sharp remarks made him a household name. He repeated his success with American Idol as well. Today he is currently working to promote his own show in the UK, called the X-Factor.

Simon Cowell's wealth tops $180million in 2010, making him the 398th richest person in Britain.