“I was never given any hand-outs. I started at the bottom and was very good at finding people who knew more than me and learning from them.”

English television personality, record executive, businessman, and producer

Simon Phillip Cowell is an English television personality, record executive, businessman, and producer. He is known for judging major talent competition shows in Britain and the United States, and for creating the X Factor and Got Talent television franchises. Cowell served as a judge on Pop Idol, The X Factor, and Britain's Got Talent in the UK, and on American Idol, The X Factor, and America's Got Talent in the US. He founded Syco Music in 2002 and Syco Entertainment in 2005. His television formats have been adapted in many countries.