I know the success of One Direction eats Simon Cowell alive at night.
He forms the band in 2010 on X-Factor UK. Each member initially auditions as solo acts and Simon clearly isn't impressed enough by any of them to move them forward into the competition as it stands. However, he definitely sees the potential. So he doesn't send them home like he planned. Rather, he gives Harry, Niall, Louis, Liam, and Zayn another shot. The kicker? They have to work as a pop group.
Fast forward through their journey, it clearly worked out. They thrive as a boy band, Zayn breaks out of the group, Harry Styles is now one of the biggest pop stars in the world. This kind of leaves Simon Cowell with his hands in his face. Where's his slice of the pie?
In a recent interview on The Diary of a CEO podcast, the former American Idol judge reveals what he wishes he could have back. "The one thing I regret is I should have kept the name," Cowell says. "I should have owned the name."
As it stands, all the current band members own the IP and decides what it's used for. Cowell argues how it would be theoretically best for him to own it. "If one of the band members, for whatever reason, say they don't want to tour, it can stop the others [from] touring. So, if it was me who owned the name, it wouldn't be a problem," he explains. "I can be very naive at times, and that was me being very, very naive. So, next time, that will be part of the deal. I have to own the name. They can still make most of the money, but I need to own the name."
Regardless, Simon Cowell Loves His Judging Gigs
Certainly, Cowell could be reveling in having ownership over one of pop's biggest intellectual properties. However, he's still doing quite well for himself. Sure, he might groan at some of his America's Got Talent contestants in the way you might imagine. On the same podcast, he relents that he shrugs off some seasons because of the finalists involved.
But in the same breath, there are plenty of instances in which Simon loves his job. Even though not all seasons are built alike, he's loving what he's seeing this year. "The truth is, you can't fake it, you know, you either like it or you don't and I really really liked it this year," he declares.
