Who is replacing Simon Cowell on AGT — and will they reach his net worth?

Simon Cowell is stepping away from America’s Got Talent Season 21 while he recovers from back surgery, and Kenan Thompson has taken his chair for the live quarterfinals. The move has reignited chatter about Cowell’s business reach and the vast distance between his fortune and that of any guest judge filling in.

Back injury timeline

Cowell injured his back in a 2020 e-bike accident and now needs another corrective procedure. His representatives say the surgery is routine and that he plans to return within weeks. The absence covers only the current live-show stretch.

Producers have kept the rest of the panel intact: Sofía Vergara, Howie Mandel, and Mel B remain, with Terry Crews hosting. No permanent change to the judging lineup has been discussed.

AGT viewers have seen this story before; Thompson also sat in for Cowell during similar recovery windows in 2020.

Who is stepping in

Kenan Thompson’s SNL tenure since 2003 and film credits such as Good Burger make him a recognizable face for NBC audiences. The network announced his return to the AGT desk in late August.

Thompson’s role is strictly temporary. He joins for the third round of quarterfinals and has no contract beyond these episodes.

Other guest judges may appear later, but none are positioned as long-term replacements.

Simon Cowell net worth

Multiple 2026 estimates place Simon Cowell net worth at roughly $600 million, built across two decades of television and music ventures. That figure dwarfs the earnings profile of any guest judge who might fill his seat for a few weeks.

The largest single stream comes from his stake in the Got Talent format, now licensed in 194 territories. Additional revenue flows from Syco Entertainment’s television interests and earlier music-catalog sales.

His peak annual pay on AGT alone has been reported near $45 million, an amount that underscores why no short-term substitute is expected to approach the same financial tier.

Early career earnings

Cowell’s first major U.S. windfall arrived during nine seasons on American Idol, where he reportedly earned about $204 million. Those checks provided seed capital for global expansion.

After leaving Idol, he focused on the Got Talent franchise and on developing new acts through Syco, turning one-time judging fees into recurring production revenue.

The shift from salaried talent to format owner is the key reason his net worth sits far above peers who remain on the performer side of the camera.

Syco and Sony dealings

In 2020 Cowell sold his recorded-music interests in Syco to Sony for an estimated $50 million while retaining the television side. That transaction locked in liquidity without surrendering day-to-day control of the shows.

The retained TV assets continue to generate fees from new seasons and international spin-offs, supporting the steady climb toward the current $600 million valuation.

Because the music catalog sale is complete, future growth now hinges on television licensing rather than artist royalties.

Kenan Thompson’s finances

Public records do not list a verified net worth for Thompson. Long-running variety performers typically earn far less than executive producers who own their formats.

His steady SNL salary and occasional film roles place him comfortably in the mid-seven-figure range, still orders of magnitude below Cowell’s holdings.

Guest judging gigs add incremental income, but they do not alter the structural gap between a contract player and a rights holder.

Media coverage pattern

Entertainment outlets have framed the story as a brief scheduling note rather than a succession drama. Headlines focus on Cowell’s expected return, not on finding a permanent successor.

Speculation about net-worth parity is largely absent from mainstream reporting; the emphasis stays on production continuity.

The muted tone reflects an industry understanding that guest judges serve a stop-gap function and are rarely positioned to inherit empire-level assets.

Viewers and brand impact

AGT’s core audience recognizes Thompson from decades of sketch comedy, which softens the absence without shifting the show’s tone. Ratings for the first quarterfinals featuring him have held steady.

NBC has not altered its promotional strategy; promos continue to highlight Cowell’s imminent return and the established judging roster.

Any lasting brand effect will likely be minimal once the regular panel is restored.

Contract and format control

Cowell’s production deal gives him approval rights over on-air talent and format changes, limiting the scope for any guest to become a fixture. The same clauses protect the financial architecture tied to his ownership stake.

Those protections keep the show’s economics stable even during short absences, reinforcing why Simon Cowell net worth remains the benchmark rather than a moving target.

Future seasons will likely follow the same template unless Cowell elects to sell or restructure the underlying rights.

Next steps for AGT

Once Cowell resumes his seat, production will revert to the familiar four-judge dynamic. No casting calls or contract negotiations for a permanent replacement have surfaced.

Thompson returns to his SNL duties, and the brief chapter of guest judges closes without altering the financial landscape.

The episode underscores how rare it is for any single performer to approach the wealth generated by owning a global format.