Simon Cowell: It pays to be nasty

Simon Cowell, the oh-so-critical judge of American Idol, is the second highest paid star on US TV, according to TV Guide magazine's new rich list. The TV mogul's annual salary is a huge £22.5 million (roughly Rs 200 crore), which he earns from reality shows American Idol and America's Got Talent.

British actor Hugh Laurie also features on the list of best-paid TV stars. He picks up £150,000 an episode for playing the lead role in Emmy-nominated medical drama House. With 20 episodes per series, Laurie's annual salary is around £3 million.

But both Cowell and Laurie are a long way behind Oprah Winfrey, who tops the list with annual earnings of £130 million. She also recently topped Forbes magazine's 2007 rich list.

As compared to its foreign counterparts, the Indian TV show hosts earn a fraction, at a lakh per episode, amounting to Rs 12 lakh per annum. It is only Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan who earned crores annually hosting Kaun Banega Crorepati.

(With inputs from agencies)