Enormous Money (Simon offered $144 mil a year to stay on 'Idol')

N.Y. Post ^ | 6/30/2009 | MAXINE SHEN

[rock_lobsta]

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.

[rock_lobsta]

Nobody's worth that much...

[Red in Blue PA]

Hope the whole channel goes bankrupt if this is true.

[rock_lobsta]

Ping ‘em, Jonny!

[VicVega]

Whatever they are paying Paula, is way much.

[pnh102]

We need more people to be like Simon Cowell. It is nice to see someone actually earn their money for once and not get a taxpayer bailout.

[Red in Blue PA]

Huh?

I can only assume you forgot your /sarc tag.

[ken21]

the left attacks executive salaries but not entertainment.

[rodeo-mamma]

I disagree, I don’t think the show would be worth watching if it wasn’t for him. I just love his personality. I think he is lovable in a tough kind of way. I love his comments too. He says it like it is. Sometimes he gets a little mean, it’s true, but it just makes the show that much more entertaining.

[thefactor]

do you have any idea what kind of money that show generates? it was his idea, his baby. that's like saying bill gates doesn't deserve his money.

if the market will support it, he should get it.

[tx_eggman]

Obama needs to look into this.

[Cronos]

I don't know -- American Idol without Simon's caustic comments? I don't think it would work, or be as big..

He adds a touch of realism and quite frankly, many people just tune in to watch Simon verbally destroy a person.

[pnh102]

Nope. I mean it. I see nothing wrong with private parties coming to a mutual agreement over a trade for money for services.

And I do like Simon's style. We'd be a better world if more people who do indeed suck at something were told that they do.

[napscoordinator]

Worth every penny. American Idol makes 900 million a year. 114 million is justified as Simon is a big part of the show. Good for Simon...Disgusting how FREEPERS are crying about this. I guess they agree with the Democrats about having a cap on pay and bonus’...Bunch a liberals around Free Republic Lately. IT IS COMPLETELY DISGUSTING!!!

[Las Vegas Ron]

Nobody's worth that much...

Though I agree he's not worth it, a person is worth what someone is willing to pay

I say good for him.

[Red in Blue PA]

We'd be a better world if more people who do indeed suck at something were told that they do.

I'm sure they could find 10,000,000 people willing to do it for 1/100th that amount.

This is simply idiotic.

[InterceptPoint]

Nobody's worth that much...

Yes and no.

Yes because if he can get it he is worth it. That's free market Capitalism at work.

OTOH if you watch American Idol you know that it is at best 50% show and 50% commercials. That ratio is way too favorable to the commercials side for me but not, apparently, for the American Sheeple. As long as people are willing to put up with that level of commercialization of entertainment then there is going to be $100,000,000/year salaries available for a few, or at least one, TV superstar.

Personally I TIVO the show, fast forward through all the commercials (except those cute Progressive.com ads and the Geico gecko) and then fast forward through 90% of the performances listening only to my favs and Simon's comments about them. Takes about 10 minutes per show.

[absolootezer0]

you do realise that you pay his salary right?
any GM, crysler, or other company that received bailout money is spending part of that money on advertising on this show, which is paying his salary.

[rock_lobsta]

Lighten up, Francis.

[tcrlaf]

A CEO responsible for thousands of jobs, and billions in revenue must have his salary government controlled, but a ball player or an actor is free to make as much as possible without fear of recrimination by the press and the Democrats...

ARE WE LIVING IN BIZZARRO WORLD NOW????

[rock_lobsta]

Whatever they are paying Paula, is way much.

It's not so much as what they pay Paula - rather, it's what they're supplying Paula...