Simon Cowell was the music mogul behind numerous hit singles and one of the creators and co-judges of the hugely successful talent show, "American Idol" (Fox, 2002-16; ABC, 2017- ). Cowell became as well-known than the stars he was creating, and his confident personality helped make "American Idol" a cultural phenomenon. Cowell evolved into a multi-media powerhouse, launching a record label as well as film and TV production companies that fueled the reality trend by creating half a dozen more international talent competitions.