Meet Simon Cowell’s brothers: John hung out with Elton John and Freddie Mercury, Nick is a property boss, Tony ghostwrote his famous sib’s autobiography, and Michael didn’t speak to Simon for 17 years

Jan 2 , 2025

Meet Simon Cowell’s four brothers – but which one hung out with Elton John, Freddie Mercury and Jimi Hendrix? Photo: @TonyCowell/X

Simon has a brother, Nicholas, 3 half-brothers – John, Tony and Michael – and a half-sister, June; there once was a major falling out over a woman, but today harmony reigns, it appears

Simon Cowell may be known for his sarcasm and harsh critiques of contestants on America’s Got Talent, but by now we also know that the tough exterior is something of an act.

When Liam Payne died last October, Cowell – who helped form Payne’s former boy band One Direction – penned a heartfelt dedication to the singer. “Liam, I am truly devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty,” he wrote on Instagram. “Every tear I’ve shed is a memory of you.”

Tony Cowell with Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles and Liam Payne from One Direction. Photo: @TonyCowell/X

Cowell’s softer side was similarly exposed in May 2023 when his older brother Tony told The Sun how the music mogul had reacted after being told about his brother’s cancer diagnosis. “I could hear he was extremely upset,” Tony told the newspaper. “I had to calm him down. He then switched and became Mr Helpful.”

It’s clear that Cowell keeps in touch with those he cares about – so what do we know about his brothers and his relationships with them?

Simon Cowell has 5 siblings

A very young Simon Cowell, holding his lookalike father’s hand, with his mother and two of his brothers. Photo: @DailyMail/Pinterest

Simon Phillip Cowell was born in October 1959 in London and raised in nearby Hertfordshire with his younger brother Nicholas. Their father, Eric Cowell, was on the board of directors at EMI Records – a British music conglomerate later bought by Universal – and their mother, Julie Brett, was a ballet dancer.

Simon and Nicholas also found themselves with four older half-siblings as a result of their parents’ previous marriages: brothers John, Tony and Michael, and sister June.

Nick Cowell is also an overachiever

Simon Cowell’s younger brother Nick Cowell is a property mogul. Photo: @cowellgroup39/Instagram

Unlike his music-loving older brother Simon, Nick Cowell had his sights set on the property market from a young age. According to the London Standard, he began working for property agent Garrard Smith & Partners at the age of 17, and by the age of 22 had teamed up with a friend, borrowed £30,000 (the equivalent of about US$130,000 today), and bought the company from the owners, renaming it The Estate Office. Nick is now worth millions.