Pop Idol 'nets founder £30m'

Pop Idol launched several singing careers

The man behind television hit Pop Idol earned £30m from the show, according to a survey of Britain's top earners.

Simon Fuller, who helped devise the ITV1 talent contest, was the programme's biggest financial winner.

The Sunday Times Pay List.survey ranks Britain's 500 highest-paid people by what they earned in the past year.

Top Ten Music Earners

1. Madonna - £36m

2. Sir Paul McCartney - £35m

3. Sir Mick Jagger - £24.5 m

4. Keith Richards - £24m

5. Sting - £21.8m

6. Eric Clapton - £14.2 m

7= Rod Stewart - £12m

7= Charlie Watts - £12m

9= Pete Townshend - £10m

9= Robbie Williams - £10m

9= Ronnie Wood - £10 m

Madonna was 15th overall in the list, but her £36m made her the richest music star.

She was just £1m ahead of former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney.

Rolling Stone Sir Mick Jagger was next among the musicians, having earned £24.5m, followed by Keith Richards (£24m) and Sting (£21.8m).

Robbie Williams finished ninth in the music category with £10m.

In film, Sir Anthony Hopkins topped the list with an annual haul of £21.5m, followed by Welsh compatriot Catherine Zeta Jones on £20m and director Ridley Scott with £12m.

Star Wars leading man Ewan McGregor earned £8.5m and finished fourth among the stars of the big screen.

Top Ten Film Earners

1. Sir Anthony Hopkins - £21.5m

2. Catherine Zeta Jones - £20m

3. Ridley Scott - £12m

4. Ewan McGregor - £8.5m

5. Gary Oldman - £8.2m

6= Sir Sean Connery - £8m

6= Ralph Fiennes - £8m

8. Patrick Stewart - £7m

9. Hugh Grant - £6.5m

10. Rachel Weisz - £3.5m

Gary Oldman made up the top five with £8.2m.

Peter Simon, founder of Monsoon, topped the fashion list with earnings of £6.6m.

The list, in its third year, said record producer Simon Cowell, a judge on Pop Idol, earned £3m.

He was some way ahead of Pop Idol winner Will Young, who earned £500,000.

Fuller recently told Time magazine in the United States that his next project could be a talent contest aimed at resurrecting the careers of faded singers.

Second Chance Idol could be on UK screens by February and summer in the US.