Going from an unknown record company worker, Simon Cowell is now one of the most influential people in show business. The British producer and TV star has created a huge empire for himself and has been the star judge on several talent shows.

The talent shows brought Simon Cowell a different kind of audience, and his unique, often brutally honest approach has proven rather popular.

Maybe that’s among the reasons why he’s made so much money, and we’re talking much money. In fact, Simon Cowell’s been paid millions and millions of dollars over the years, with new reports highlighting just how much he made per season of American Idol.

Simon Cowell has one child named Eric. However, the music doesn’t want to share the money with his child.

Simon Cowell genuinely believes his children should create their own fortune.

“I’m going to leave my money to somebody. A charity, probably — kids and dogs. I don’t believe in passing on from one generation to another,” Simon told The Mirror and added:

“Your legacy has to be that hopefully you gave enough people an opportunity, so that they could do well, and you gave them your time, taught them what you know.”

When Simon Cowell met Eric’s mother, Lauren Silverman, she was married to Andrew Silverman, one of Cowell’s close friends.

In 2013 news broke that the couple were expecting their first child together. Lauren was still married to Andrew, but they divorced by the end of the year.

On Valentine’s Day 2014, Eric was born and while Cowell was overjoyed to become a father, he struggled with it initially. Simon, who never expected to be a father, wasn’t proud of his affair.

“It is not something I am proud of or wanted to happen in terms of hurting anyone. It just happened,” he said.

But today, he couldn’t be happier. In many ways, the father-son-duo is very alike. According to Simon, they appreciate the same things – Scooby Doo, Disney movies, and laughing at the dogs.

”He’s the most amazing thing that ever happened to me. I adore him,” America’s Got Talent judge said.

Eric is named after Cowell’s late father, Eric Selig Phillip Cowell, who passed away in 1999. Recently, Simon also praised his son for making him stop getting fillers and injections in his face. It went so far that Eric got scared by his father’s face.

“There was a stage where I might have gone a bit too far. I saw a picture of me from ‘before’ the other day, and didn’t recognise it as me first of all,” Simon told The Sun and continued:

“Eric was in hysterics. Enough was enough. There is no filler in my face at all now. Zero,” the X Factor judge said.