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The American Idol supremo Simon Cowell is known for his forthright declarations, but even by his own standards describing himself as bigger than rock legend Bruce Springsteen is quite some claim.
In an interview to be screened on CBS's 60 Minutes programme in the US on Sunday, Cowell, who is also a judge on the American Idol series, says he is worth five times more to Sony than "The Boss".
"I sell more records than Bruce Springsteen, sure," Cowell says of the 57-year-old rocker, who signed a contract that was reported to be in the neighbourhood of $100 million dollars (NZ$143m).
"I mean, in the last five years, I've probably sold over 100 million records.
If (Springsteen) got one hundred (million dollars), I should have got five hundred (million dollars)," he says.
The 47-year-old said the reason he had sold so many records was because he had signed "the biggest artist on the planet" - the Fox network's American Idol, which is now franchised around the world.
"Every single 'Idol' winner is now signed through Sony BMG," said Cowell.
"And this applies to all the countries we sell Idol to, which is over 30 countries."
Albums by American Idol winners and runners-up are distributed by labels within the Sony system through a deal between Clive Davis and 19 Recordings Unlimited, the label managed by American Idol creator Simon Fuller.
Interviewer Anderson Cooper asked Cowell, 47, whether his deal with Sony was in the same neighbourhood as Springsteen's.
"A hundred million ... that's a great deal," Cowell said.
Was he referring to himself or Springsteen?
"For him," replied Cowell, grinning.
"For him it's a good deal."
Cowell is best known as a judge on the television programmes Pop Idol, The X Factor, American Idol and Britain's Got Talent.
As a pundit on these shows he has earned notoriety for his bluntness and crushing the spirit of the shows' contestants with his no-holds barred criticism.
A versatile character, he has combined activities in the television and music industries, having produced singles and records for various television characters such as Power Rangers.
Born in Brighton, Cowell was brought up in Elstree, Hertfordshire.
After dropping out of school aged 17, he took various menial jobs before his father, who was an executive at the recording giant EMI Music Publishing, got him a job in the mail room.
He soon rose to become a successful music talent spotter.
But it was as a judge on Simon Fuller's Pop Idol that he first came to the public's attention.
As a judge on American Idol since 2002, he has won global fame, while his own television creations, including The X Factor, have enhanced his fortune.
His acerbic style as a judge boosted the popularity of the shows, especially in American Idol, where "that nasty guy Simon" received more attention that the contestants.
Cowell's ironic signature phrase, "I don't mean to be rude, but ...", is invariably followed by a crushing verdict contestant's performance, personality or even appearance.
He told one woman in 2005: "You look like the Incredible Hulk's wife."
Cowell also appeared on the one-off World Idol program in 2003, where it became clear that each country's version of the Idol had attempted to come up with its own "Simon Cowell", further proving his effectiveness as a villain.
In 2003, Cowell was ranked 33rd on Channel 4's list of the all-time 100 Worst Britons.
His S Records label signed the top two finishers of the first season of Pop Idol, Will Young and Gareth Gates, who both had Number One hits.
In June 2003, Cowell sold his half-share in S Records for $42 million to BMG, making him a multi-millionaire.
Later that year he published a book, I Don't Mean to Be Rude, But... in which he recounted his childhood, his years working in the music industry, his experiences on Pop Idol and American Idol, and his tips for being successful as a pop star.
- INDEPENDENT
