Simon Fuller - Business Background

Business Background

Fuller began his career in 1981 at Chrysalis in publishing (Chrysalis Limited) and A&R (Chrysalis Records), and in 1983 was responsible for signing Madonna's first hit 'Holiday' to the company. He discovered Paul Hardcastle in 1985 and started his own management company in London, 19 Entertainment, naming it after Hardcastle's first hit song "19". Fuller spent the next twenty years turning 19 Entertainment into a highly profitable business, becoming one of the most influential entrepreneurs in the global entertainment market.

After 20 years at the head of the company Fuller sold 19 Entertainment to CKX, Inc. in a cash and stock deal worth over $200 million in March 2005. In 2008 the company delivered a profit of $92.5 million (£66m) into the parent company. Fuller became a director of CKX, a position which gave him creative control over all of CKX's assets including the Elvis Presley Estate, Muhammad Ali’s business interests, and other iconic rights properties, until January 2010 when started a new firm, XIX Entertainment, while continuing to work with CKX / 19 as a consultant and Executive Producer of 19's shows. XIX Entertainment has a valuation of $100 million, and has offices in London, Los Angeles, Nashville and New York City. In February 2008 Fuller was presented with the PGA Award by the Producers Guild of America in Hollywood. At the event he was praised for his creativity, entrepreneurship, and charity work by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and HRH The Prince of Wales who also thanked Fuller for his support of the Prince's charity The Prince's Trust.