American Idol’s judge Simon Cowell earns a whopping $45 million a year, but is it enough to knock the queen of crap off her throne? Apparently not. Earning over five times that amount, Oprah Winfrey who rakes in an amazing $260 million a year from her own show as well as guest appearances on “Rachel Ray”, “Dr. Phil” and other programs puts Simon Cowell to shame.
Here’s the complete list from TV Guide:
Oprah Winfrey - $260 million a year
Simon Cowell - $45 million a year
Judge Judy - $30 million a year
Katie Couric - $15 million a year
Zach Braff - $6.3 million a year
William Petersen - $500,000 (per episode)
Charlie Sheen - $350,000 (per episode)
Mariska Hargitay - $350,000 (per episode)
Christopher Meloni - $350,000 (per episode)
Hugh Laurie - $300,000 (per episode)

Source