Simon Fuller

Simon Fuller
Born
Simon Robert Fuller

(1960-05-17) 17 May 1960 (age 64)
British Cyprus
Occupation(s)Talent manager, television producer, investor, creative consultant
Years active1981–present
Employer(s)19 Entertainment (1985–2010)
XIX Entertainment (2010–)
Websitexixentertainment.com

Simon Robert Fuller (born 17 May 1960) is a British entrepreneur, artist manager, and film and television producer.[1] He is the creator of the Idols TV format, including the UK series Pop Idol and the American series American Idol.

Fuller came to prominence in the 1990s for managing the British girl group the Spice Girls, and he has since managed acts in various fields of entertainment, from sports stars David Beckham and Lewis Hamilton to other musicians such as Amy Winehouse and Annie Lennox.[2][3]

Since 2020, Fuller has been working with tech firm TikTok to aid development of new TikTok creatives[4] and in the same year he announced a partnership with Verizon Communications to develop 5G content.[5] In 2021, Pearson PLC announced a partnership with Fuller to create a new global education business in Performing Arts.[6] In 2016, Fuller persuaded Swedish quartet ABBA to reunite to explore working in virtual reality,[7] which led to the ABBA Voyage project.[8]

Time has named Fuller one of the 100 most influential people in the world.[9] He has been certified as the most successful British music manager of all time by Billboard.[10] Fuller received the 2,441st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 23 May 2011.[11] In 2014 he was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Brighton in his home county East Sussex in recognition for his "contribution to business, entrepreneurship and philanthropy". The 2020 Sunday Times Rich List estimated Fuller's wealth at £445 million.[12]

  1. ^ "Simon Fuller". 16 December 2013.
  2. ^ The man with stars in his eyes The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2024
  3. ^ "Annie Lennox behind the Spice Girls' success, says Simon Fuller". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  4. ^ "American Idol creator Simon Fuller turns to TikTok talent". BBC News. 7 August 2020.
  5. ^ "Simon Fuller, Verizon Form Pact to Develop 5G Music and Entertainment Experiences (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Pearson and Simon Fuller join forces to set up Academy of Pop". the Guardian. 15 October 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  7. ^ "ABBA back together for Simon Fuller project". 26 October 2016.
  8. ^ "ABBA tease major announcement ahead of new music". BBC News. 26 August 2021.
  9. ^ The TIME 100: Simon Fuller, Time. Retrieved 3 May 2007
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Billboard08 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Simon Fuller: Hollywood Walk of Fame WalkofFame.com. Retrieved 15 June 2011
  12. ^ "Sussex's richest people – and how they made their money". The Argus. 17 May 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2022.