Following on from successes with major shows like The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent, one might assume that Simon Cowell is the richest person in television, however, another name takes the crown.
While Simon is big in America with America's Got Talent, his claim to richest person on TV is actually stolen by America's 'Queen of TV', Oprah Winfrey. The presenter, globally known for her eponymous show, is worth a cool £3 billion, which dwarves Simon's net worth, which is estimated to be around £542 million.
© WireImageRead on to find out how the duo ended up making their vast fortunes…
Oprah's net worth
Oprah's career started when she was 17 when she landed a part-time role at a local radio station. From there, the star became the first Black female news anchor at WLAC-TV Nashville.
In 1976, she became a co-anchor on the 6 p.m. news at WJZ-TV in Baltimore. However, she was soon demoted to host the affiliate's local talk show, People Are Talking, which she later said made her realise that hosting a talk show was the career for her.
© Ron Galella, Ltd.Oprah took her newfound passion to WLS-TV Chicago's morning talk show, AM Chicago, and turned it from the network's lowest-rated show to the highest-rated local talk show in a matter of months. One year later, the star struck a deal, and the show was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show. It went on to become the highest-rated talk show in television history and ran from 1986 to 2011.
The show helped her to establish a brand and Oprah has since starred in several shows and even earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in The Color Purple.
The star also raked in millions from savvy business deals, including her own magazine, cable channel and production company. She previously owned a stake in WW (formerly Weight Watchers) whose stock reportedly rose 500% after her involvement.
With all of this, Parade reports that at one point, the 71-year-old was earning £8.19 every second!
Simon's net worth
While much of Simon's wealth comes from his role as a talent show judge, the sometimes brutally honest star also makes his millions from his music label Syco Entertainment which boasts talent such as Camila Cabello and Olly Murs, and in the past, One Direction.
Celebrity Net Worth estimates that Simon earns somewhere between $50 million and a staggering $100 million a year thanks to all of his work both in front of the camera and behind the scenes in the music and television industry.
© Getty ImagesSimon landed his first huge judging job on the first series of Pop Idol, plunging him into the spotlight and a much more exclusive tax bracket. His peak salary was reportedly £25 million, and he continued to host the show until 2010.
This then landed him his gig on American Idol, which turned him into a US star, and led him to create his label Syco Entertainment which has sold over 200 million albums worldwide since 2003.
