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Aug 2025
1h 8m

Simon Cowell: Music Mogul

Guy Raz | Wondery
About this episode
Long before he became famous as the sharp-tongued TV personality who launched the careers of pop stars, Simon Cowell was a rebellious teenager who dropped out of school and started his career in the mailroom at EMI. After a failed business left him nearly bankrupt, he found success by zigging where others zagged—initially by selling hit records based on TV s ... Show More
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