HOLLYWOOD - Music mogul Simon Cowell is the third richest TV star in the world, trailing only Oprah Winfrey and Jerry Seinfeld on a new Forbes list.

The talent-show guru earned a staggering $45 million between June 2006 and June 2007, propelling him towards the top of the high-earners chart--thanks to the success of American Idol and The X Factor.

Talk-show queen Winfrey leads the list by a mile--making an astonishing $260 million in the same period. Seinfeld banked an impressive $60 million, even though the sitcom bearing his name ended nine years ago.

The top 10 are as follows:

1. Oprah Winfrey--$260 million
2. Jerry Seinfeld--$60 million
3. Simon Cowell--$45 million
4. David Letterman--$40 million
5. Donald Trump--$32 million
6. Jay Leno--$32 million
7. Dr. Phil McGraw--$30 million
8. "Judge" Judy Sheindlin--$30 million
9. George Lopez--$26 million
10. Kiefer Sutherland--$22 million

http://www.hollywood.com/news/Cowell_Reaches_Top_Three_on_TVs_Rich_List/4922312