Simon Turned Down $100 Million

With Simon Cowell on his way to launching the American version of X-Factor, many Hollywood wags were wondering: just how much money did Fox offer him to stay on Idol? A whopping $100 million it turns, according to The New Post‘s Page Six. After a decade on Idol, Cowell preferred to focus on casting X-Factor judges who will likely include Cowell’s friend Paula Abdul and an industry exec like Sony Music’s Tommy Mottola. “If I thought it would lead to the death of Idol," Simon tells the Post. "I genuinely wouldn’t have done it.” –KADEEN GRIFFITHS