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LOS ANGELES, US - Former American Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe has revealed that Simon Cowell is earning US$36 million (S$53 million) a year for his role as a judge on the Fox network's seven-year-old reality show.
E! online reported that Cowell, who was ranked No. 21 on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list last year, makes around US$22,000 per minute. The estimated figure is according to Lythgoe, who left the show this year to concentrate on other projects.
He adds that Fox, the TV studio American Idol falls under, can well afford Cowell's pay cheque.
"We heard Fox were getting something like US$900,000 and US$1 million per 30 seconds in advertising revenue," Lythgoe said at the Australian Commercial Radio Conference last Friday.
Other judges for the show earn much less than Cowell. Producer Randy Jackson reportedly gets approximately US$2 million per season, while singer Paula Abdul earns between US$5 and US$8 million.
MSNBC.com says that Abdul knew that Cowell was getting paid more.
"But she never imagined it was this much more," MSNBC quoted a source close to Abdul as saying.
"This could really put her in a bad way."
Abdul also "has a lot of concerns with feeling appreciated", added the source, saying that the inclusion of producer-songwriter Kara DioGuardi as a new judge in the show's upcoming season has put Abdul on the edge.
As to why there's such a salary discrepancy, Lythgoe said it's because "it is believed Cowell brings more to the table", reported E! online.
Cowell also re-negotiates his salary each year, as he never signs more than a 12-month contract, according to news reports.
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