NEWSSimon Cowell Admits He 'Worries About Money' Despite Having a Huge Net Worth
Simon Cowell got candid about his money woes in an interview, despite having a massive net worth.
May 8 2025, Published 7:32 a.m. ET
Simon Cowell got candid about one fear he has.
Even with a reported net worth of more than $600 million, the 65-year-old music exec confessed in a new interview that financial anxiety still lingers.
“I always worry about money because I think you have to in a way,” he said on the “How to Fail” podcast. “You think about Covid as an example.”
“I remember reading it for the first time on a website, and I don't read a lot of stuff on social media, but I'd heard about it, so I was curious,” he recalled. “Second day, the story got bigger to a point where I actually phoned my partner and I said ‘I don't like the look of this, I have a horrible feeling it's going to be like that movie Contagion, and I think we need to get all of our shows into production around the world quicker this year.’ And we did.”
Simon Cowell still worries about money — even with millions in the bank.
That wake-up call changed the way he saw everything. These days, the former X Factor judge believes the world feels more “precarious” — and a lot less secure.
Cowell made a fortune over the years, reportedly pulling in $33 million per season on American Idol. He also created and produced global hits including X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent. On top of that, his record labels launched the careers of major acts, including Westlife, Little Mix and One Direction.
Host Elizabeth Day asked him straight up if he’s really worth £500 million.
“'Oh God, it's not that. I'm not even close to that. I'm being serious. I'm not,” he replied.
“I've made a lot, I'm not going to lie. I've made a bit of money, yes, but not that much, no,” he added.
The pandemic shifted how the former 'X Factor' judge thinks about his money.
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
Turns out, even Cowell still needs help funding his creative projects from time to time.
“My friends have been great. I did something recently where I just didn't have the money to pay people to help me,” he revealed. “So I seriously had to say to about 20 people ‘I'm making something and I really don't have any money, but would you help me?’ And they all said ‘Yes’. And that was the most incredible thing.”
Despite having anxiety, Cowell said he’s happy with what he has now.
“I've definitely got enough. I don't need any more. I don't yearn for what I thought I wanted a few years ago because when I was a kid, I had no idea of anything like yachts, and the Caribbean, or private planes,” he shared.
These days, the music mogul values simplicity and family over wealth and status.
But as his fame grew, he found himself rubbing shoulders with billionaires — which didn’t impress him.
“I did start to kind of mix with some of those people for a couple of years. And I'm going to be honest, I hated it. I didn't like the people,” he admitted. "I thought they were obnoxious, I thought they were snobby, I think a lot of those people thought they were better than other people because they had money — which is ridiculous when you think about it.”
Simon Cowell downsized his company to focus on his family.
“I think a lot of those people thought they were better than other people because they had money — which is ridiculous when you think about it,” he added, saying he’s never met a “super rich” person who’s truly happy.
Now a dad to son Eric Philip Cowell, whom he shares with fiancée Lauren Silverman, Simon has scaled back his company, SyCo, to “focus” on family life.
