Who is the Highest Earning Man in Primetime?

Posted Nov 11 via Entertainment Tonight 2009-11-11 10:51:13

From "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell to "Two and a Half Men" star Charlie Sheen, ET knows who topped the Forbes.com list of prime time's top earning males.

Forbes reveals that Cowell is the highest paid man in TV, pulling in $75 million in a year. The controversial "Idol" judge beat out "The Apprentice" host Donald Trump who made $50 million, while Cowell's coworker Ryan Seacrest was No. 3 on the list, grossing $38 million, based on a pre-tax estimate from June 1, 2008-June 1, 2009.

So how did these men make their millions? In addition to Cowell's "Idol" duties, he has his own record label, which has signed breakout stars Leona Lewis and Susan Boyle.  Meanwhile, Trump lends his name and face to a number of products and receives checks for his speeches and books. When he's not hosting "Idol," Seacrest is known for his numerous jobs that include: radio talk show host, celebrity TV host and executive producer of the hit reality show "Keeping Up with the Kardashians."

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