Simon Cowell is one of the highest paid TV-personalities. Photo / AP
Simon Cowell is one of the highest paid TV-personalities. Photo / AP
Simon Cowell and Howard Stern are the highest-paid TV personalities in America.
The X Factor supremo and the America's Got Talent judge each earned an estimated $95 million between June 2012 and June 2013, making them the highest earners, according to Forbes.
Glenn Beck's subscription website, highlighting his right-wing views,helped him to earn $90 million putting him in third place, ahead of Oprah Winfrey, who pulled in $77 million for the same year.
Oprah's protege Dr. Phil McGraw completed the top five, making $72 million in the same time period.
Rush Limbaugh ($66 million), Donald Trump ($63 million), Ryan Seacrest ($61 million), Ellen DeGeneres ($56 million) and Judy Sheindlin ($47 million) also made the top 10.
Although Oprah dropped to fourth on the list this year, the Butler actress recently topped Forbes magazine's most powerful celebrities list.
The billionaire TV star reclaimed the number one spot on the financial magazine's annual ranking of Hollywood stars, with the publication crediting her $77 million earnings as well as her prominence on TV, on social media and in the press.
Forbes writer Dorothy Pomerantz said: "She still wields an enormous amount of power, which is really what we look for in our fame matrix. She is taking this cable network and turning it around just through the sheer force of her will, her connections and her ability."
The 59-year-old star - who has topped the list on four previous occasions - is one of three celebrities who have featured on the prestigious list every year since its inception in 1999, along with radio DJ Howard Stern and director Steven Spielberg.
Forbes magazine's Highest-Earning TV Personalities 2013. Top 10:
• Simon Cowell and Howard Stern • Glenn Beck • Oprah Winfrey • Dr. Phil McGraw • Rush Limbaugh • Donald Trump • Ryan Seacrest • Ellen DeGeneres • Judy Sheindlin
