Simon Cowell, Donald Trump, Charlie Sheen among TV's best-paid men

If you have occasion to lunch with Simon Cowell, make sure he picks up the check, because he’s definitely good for it. According to Forbes’ annual Prime Time’s Top Earning Men survey, the American Idol judge took home $75 million between June 1, 2008 and June 1, 2009. To be clear, that figure represents Cowell’s total income–not just his TV show paycheck, but money from endorsement deals, music publishing, and more. Number 2 on the Forbes list: The Apprentice’s Donald Trump, who made $50 million. In fact, of the 11 dudes in the top 10 (Patrick Dempsey and David Caruso tied for tenth with $9 million each), five came from the reality genre. Biggest earning scripted series star: Two and a Half Men’s Charlie Sheen at Number Four with $21 million. Forbes reports that the former Mr. Denise Richards makes a whopping $800,000 per episode, including syndication dough.