Hollywood War of the Wages

 

The second season of a Simon Cowell-free American Idol started this week. Cowell ditched the popular talent show last year to launch a U.S. version of his British music competition The X Factor, which he vowed would attract 20 million viewers. It fell short, topping out at 12 million. Now there’s word that the new American Idol judges, Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez, had been joking backstage that they would be “devastated” if they didn’t get 20 million viewers. (They did for the season premiere, but just barely.) Lopez may be winning the ratings war but Cowell is winning the war of the wages. The music executive earned $90 million last year thanks to The X Factor, which he owns a share of, and his record label, Syco. Lopez earned $25 million. Most of that came from Idol but she also has several movies coming out and a new clothing line.

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